Maine DOT defends flashing yellow arrows at Pearl Harbor Remembrance Bridge after Gardiner residents report crashes and confusion

Maine Department of Transportation engineers told the Gardiner City Council on Feb. 12 that a six‑month, preliminary review of a new flashing yellow arrow pattern at the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Bridge shows a reduced crash rate, but residents and councilors pressed DOT for additional changes and clearer public education.

The issue drew sustained public comment from residents who commute across the bridge and contend the flashing yellow arrow creates confusion at peak hours. "We've had multiple accidents. I've almost been in multiple accidents," resident Zach Wannberg told councilors. "It leads to a dangerous turn." Wannberg said the combination of heavy left‑turn traffic and angled approaches makes the signal pattern especially difficult for drivers and pedestrians.

Steve Landry, Maine DOT state traffic engineer, told the council the intersection has been a "high crash location" for about 10 years and said the agency implemented flashing yellow arrows and shorter cycle lengths as part of a statewide signal modernization project to increase capacity and reduce rear‑end…