Entrance to Fiesta Mexicana causing concern
7:23 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Some are concerned getting to this year’s Fiesta Mexicana will be a dangerous nightmare.
The annual festival is just days away and is expected to draw at least 70,000 people to the Oakland neighborhood.
Traffic is always a problem during Fiesta Mexicana.
Thousands of people get there by way of the Branner Bridge. But the stop lights at 4th and Branner, just south of the bridge, are causing confusion for some drivers.
4th and Branner
The traffic signals are more than 55 years old and the city said it’s time for them to go. For the last few weeks, they’ve flashed red and yellow.
“I don’t like the change very much,” said Chris Love, who works at the intersection. “They changed it so suddenly that everybody is just confused.”
With so many people traveling to the festival, Love said things could get interesting.
“It’s going to be congested and everybody’s going to be mad and confused,” he said.
City traffic engineer Linda Voss said the stop lights won’t be replaced, because the intersection doesn’t warrant it.
Voss said she’s been monitoring the intersection and doesn’t see that there will be any problems.
Fiesta organizers said they have their eyes on it and hope festival goers will be patient or find another route.
“Any kind of change is kind of hard to adjust to,” said Celia Vega, a festival organizer. “Once the adjustment is there, I think it’ll work. Just, the public needs to be aware that there’s a stop there.”
Other ways to the festival include taking the Sardou Bridge from Kansas Avenue. You can also take Golden Avenue north to Seward Avenue and over.
Trolley service will be offered from 8th and Madison.
The festival kicks off in Oakland July 17 and runs through July 21.
A parade will be held in Downtown Topeka at 8 p.m. Friday, July 13.
The coronation ball will be at the Expocentre Saturday, July 14.
Link to details of this year's Fiesta Mexicana here.
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