The intersection of White Oak Road at Market Street has reopened on the city's west side, with a reconfigured design.
To increase safety at the intersection, the City of Bloomington says turns will be permanently limited to southbound and westbound right turns. Left turns from White Oak to Market or from Market to White Oak will not be allowed.
Drivers wishing to make a left turn are encouraged to use Locust Street and Hinshaw Avenue or Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. There are truck restrictions on Chestnut Street and Graham Street.
The intersection was redone as part of a broader overhaul of Illinois 9 (aka Market Street) through Bloomington. The previous White Oak-Market intersection had poor sight-distance for turning vehicles, pedestrian access and ADA compliance issues, and was too close to the railroad.
The Illinois Department of Transportation considered several options including closing White Oak at Market, closing White Oak at Locust Street, and the chosen option of shifting the intersection to the east. Modernization of the railroad crossing safety equipment required the addition of a raised median that eliminated any left turns.
Bloomington officials say "the resulting intersection should reduce turning crashes, increase pedestrian accessibility, and provide a safer railroad crossing."
