Burbank Drive between Nicholson Drive and the median just past Jennifer Jean Drive will soon have a new traffic light and a left-hand turning lane, said Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development spokeswoman Lauren Lee. The city requested a new light at the intersection of West Parker Boulevard and Burbank for smoother traffic flow, Lee said.

DOTD will remove the traffic signal at East Boyd Drive and Burbank, cycle on the West Parker light and begin re-striping Burbank during either the University’s 2012 winter break or 2013 spring break to avoid peak traffic times, Lee said.

“It will be done during the weekend with minimal lane closures,” she added.

Local business owners said they hope the left-hand turning lane will cut down on the amount of traffic accidents on the regularly congested stretch of road.

“There’s usually a good bit of accidents at the East Boyd light,” said Izzo’s Illegal Burrito general manager Patrick Foy.

Foy said drivers wishing to turn left off Burbank will often speed into the intersection trying to beat the light since it doesn’t have a left-hand turning signal.

“They’ve been sitting there for like 10 minutes, so they try to beat the light, and they get hit by someone,” he said.

Robyn Kirkland, the assistant manager at the Circle K on Burbank, has seen the same issues at the East Boyd intersection.

“It takes 10 or 15 minutes just to get down [East Boyd],” Kirkland said about drivers attempting to turn left from East Boyd onto Burbank.

Once DOTD removes the East Boyd traffic signal, stop signs will take its place along the two-lane road, Lee said.

One option engineers have considered is prohibiting left-turns from East Boyd once the stop signs are up, and forcing drivers to turn right onto Burbank, Lee said.

“It all has to be done at once in order to work,” she added.

Although the state will fund the construction, the city of Baton Rouge will maintain the traffic signals once they’re up and running, Lee said.