CARTHAGE, Mo. — The 2010 census will undoubtedly show a population increase in Carthage over the past decade. More people equals more traffic and the need for more traffic signals.

Police Chief Greg Dagnan said one of the more congested intersections is the four-way stop at River Street and Airport Drive that handles traffic from the new Carthage Senior High School.

“It is not a good deal when school is letting out,” he said.

Dagnan said that when the school opened at the first of this year, it took parents and teenage drivers up to 40 to 50 minutes to clear the intersection, with traffic backed up all the way to the old junior high at times.

“We need to stop east and west traffic, and let north and south traffic flow freely for a few minutes,” Dagnan said.

The Police Department worked with school officials and managed to reduce the wait time to about 17 minutes by dividing the school’s parking lot into north and south sections. Those parked on the north leave by the River Street/Airport Drive route, while those in the south section exit River Street at Fir Road and circle around to get back to the city.

“Most now park in the south lot because they can get out quicker, but it’s still really harried for a good 15 minutes,” Dagnan said.

Joe Allan, who will be a high-school senior this year, said: “After school, you have all that hassle with everybody trying to get out at the same time. Splitting (the parking lot) up has helped some.”

Exiting at the south end of River Street is a little harder because you have to break into traffic on Fir Road, which does not have a stop sign at River Street, Allan said.

The city has been working with a contractor to widen the River Street/Airport Drive intersection, and to improve traffic flow by adding turning lanes and a center turn lane on River Street. Tim Hill, street superintendent, said crews expect to lay asphalt Tuesday and hope to have the site open when school starts later this week. “It’s going to be close,” he said.

Wal-Mart entrance

Another difficult intersection is at George Phelps Boulevard and Highway 571, about one block north of the signal at the Wal-Mart entrance.

“That’s probably the second-highest priority,” Dagnan said. “Traffic gets backed up there all the time.”

He said the roundabout a little farther north is working so well in keeping traffic flowing on Highway 571 that vehicles trying to turn from George Phelps Boulevard can’t get a break to enter.

He said the city has tried to work with Wal-Mart to move the signal (which Wal-Mart funded) from its entrance to George Phelps Boulevard. City Administrator Tom Short said the city has had “very, very preliminary discussions with Wal-Mart, but they are not on the fast track.”