Why is This Tri-Cities Intersection So Dangerous? Locals Answer Why!

Tri-Cities Bad Intersection: Pot Shop or Construction to Blame?

Have the citizens that live near this dangerous intersection identified the problem?

Kennedy Road & Arena Road in West Richland, Washington

A three-car accident this weekend in West Richland points out another dangerous intersection in the Tri-Cities. Anyone that lives or drives in this area already knows how dangerous this intersection is, but what are the reasons?

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There could be multiple factors in the area causing this, and the people that live and drive near Kennedy Road & Arena Road think they know why. One cause could be a construction detour in the area, maybe traffic to one of the local businesses, or maybe both.

What Makes Kennedy Road & Arena Road Dangerous?

First, there is a main construction detour that is pushing cars directly to the intersection of Kennedy Road & Arena Road. The City of West Richland is upgrading the Bombing Range Rd and Keene Roadd intersection, taking away the current traffic circle and installing traffic lights. They will be directing traffic from Keen Road down to Kennedy until at least October and already has greatly increased the traffic at that intersection.

Other Reasons for Kennedy Road Intersection Danger

On the Facebook post published by West Richland Police about the 3-car accident, people that lived or worked in the area spoke up about why they thought the intersection was so dangerous. First, someone pointed out the speed limit is 40 mph, allowing most traffic to travel closer to 50 mph. The speed limit on the same road in other areas in Richland is 35 mph.

The second, and the most mentioned reason for the traffic danger was people going to buy cannabis at Nirvana. Many people described the dangerous drivers witnessed driving recklessly both in and out. Read what some of them had to say about the dangerous intersection below.

Will City Planners Take Action Before Construction is Finished?

The problem seems to be caused by a combination of all 3 main points mentioned by the people living and working around Kennedy Road. The question now is if City Planners will recognize the problems and try to fix them before construction ends in October, or will they ignore them until then? That has yet to be seen but until that day be careful and keep your head on a swivel when driving in the area of Kennedy Road & Arena Road in West Richland.