OTHELLO - Business representatives agreed with a modified plan to improve safety at one of the busiest intersections in Othello.

City Administrator Ehman Sheldon presented a plan created by Mayor Tim Wilson to city council members during a recent meeting.

The plan calls for placing an island in the center of state Route 26, but it will be shaped to allow traffic to turn left onto the highway.

A state Department of Transportation (DOT) official spoke with the city council about potentially placing an island but it wouldn't have allowed left turns. The previous plan drew criticism from business owners near the intersection, who said it would hurt their business.

"Since that meeting, we've had some discussions and the mayor has put pen to paper and has a proposal," Sheldon said. "In general, the proposal has been reviewed by DOT and has conceptually approved of this."

DOT officials want the island in the center of the road to prevent drivers from crossing the highway, Sheldon explained. First Avenue continues on the other side of state Route 26, where it connects to state Route 24.

"The island will remain in the mayor's concept, as we all know, that's the safety driven part," he said. "What this drawing does is it adds the ability to turn left onto highway 26."

Wilson's concept includes adding an acceleration lane for people turning left onto the highway. Sheldon said people traveling east aren't able to see people turning onto the highway. The acceleration lane allows drivers to get up to speed without slowing traffic down or potentially causing collisions.

The traffic heading west on the highway wouldn't be able to turn left onto the First Avenue spur, Wilson said. The turn lane would become the acceleration lane.

"That takes care of, 'Can traffic turn left and right off of First Avenue?' The answer is, 'Yes,'" he said. "Now how do we satisfy the concerns of the business owners ... that we've limited or cut off traffic to pass by their businesses. The way that we had talked about before was one way opposing traffic on both Columbia Street and then Wahluke Street."

Columbia Street would become a one-way from Broadway Avenue to First Avenue and Wahluke Street would run the opposite direction, Sheldon said.

"Thereby routing all of the traffic down to (state Route) 26 to either turn left or turn right," he said. "So all traffic goes by all the businesses."

The plan addresses concerns about truck traffic turning from Broadway Avenue onto Columbia Street by closing one lane on Broadway Avenue. The original DOT plan called for widening the road and removing part of a potato shed, which would have cost about $91,000.

"Since there are two lanes here, they can make a wide turn here and, therefore, facilitate making that turn with the radius that's there, instead of taking out part of that corner," Sheldon said.

Lance Silva, with Wenatchee Petroleum, agreed with the change in the plans.

"I like this. I think we can live with this and it might even improve some of the traffic flow. So what we see here, we're comfortable with, and we thank you," he said.

Councilmember Marc Spohr questioned approving it, saying he thought the plan was a good idea, but people would likely have issues with it.

"I think we need to have a public hearing before we endorse this, and get other businesses who are affected opinion on this," he said. "I would like to see a big drawing that is labeled and people understand, have a public hearing, before I approve or endorse this."

Sheldon explained once the council approved the concept it would get drawn by an engineer, and the public hearing would come after.

"I think if we can move this one step tonight, we can get it reduced to paper as DOT has promised us and we can have another look at it," he said.

Wilson said the city sent out letters to the people affected by the change and if they had something to add they should be at the meeting.

Spohr suggested lowering the speed limit through the area, saying it matters a lot.

"Even with this new design, I would like to see the speed reduced through there," he said. "I think it's viable. I think it would make it safer, and when people go from Seattle to Pullman, they don't go 50 mph through Colfax. They learn to slow down."

Councilmembers Kenneth Johnson, Dan Dever and Kenneth Caylor agreed with Spohr saying they would like to see the speed limit lower through the area. The rest of the council agreed.

The city council endorsed the plan unanimously.