Cedar Valley residents looking for more answers for motorists on SH-33

Many motorists have shown their concerns driving on State Highway 33 between Guthrie and State Highway 74 due to several vehicle crashes, including fatality accidents. Many try to avoid driving in the area, but that cannot be the case for residents who live in the City of Cedar Valley.

Beginning in January of this year, the Mayor’s office and Board of Trustees of Cedar Valley began discussions with Logan County, the State of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation (ODOT) about their safety concerns.

“This section of highway continues to be classified as rural highway allowing a speed limit of 65 mph even as it passes our community of 180 households, businesses, golf courses and churches,” Cedar Valley Mayor Stan Wieczorek said in a statement. “It has a history of multiple injury and fatal accidents in recent years.”

Wieczorek made the formal request that the proper studies be made to look at lowering the speed limit in an effort to reduce the growing number of injury and fatal accidents in this developed section of highway.

In response to more accidents, including four fatalities in 2021, Cedar Valley Legislative Liaison Kathryn Sikes presented concerns to ODOT District 4 Engineer Trenton January last month.

Last month, ODOT installed two flashing LED stop signs at the intersection of Broadway and SH-33 for north and southbound traffic on Broadway. In a Logan County Board of County Commissioners meeting, January said ODOT is making plans — as funding becomes available — to add rumble strips to the center line of SH-33 beginning from SH-74. Related article: LED flashing stop signs installed at dangerous SH-33 intersection

However, Sikes they would like to see more changes, including flashing caution for blind intersection/turning traffic heading east on SH 33 before Hogan Ave., discourage drifting from lane down center of SH-33, left and right turn lanes at the intersection of Broadway and SH-33 and left and right turn lanes at the intersection of Hogan Ave and SH-33.

“I thank Trenton January for listening to the common sense concerns of our citizens. I look forward to our continuing relationship with ODOT as we move to making this section of SH-33 safe for the residents of Cedar Valley and all motorists who travel this corridor.” said Wieczorek.