Click here for a link to the project summary of Green Light’s plans for the intersection at Nicholson and Brightside.Rachel White left her house an hour and a half before her 10:30 a.m. class Tuesday. She turned around and went home after reaching campus. White, international studies sophomore, said the traffic on Nicholson Drive caused her to miss her French class. When she finally got to campus her class had already started, and she felt it was pointless to go 20 minutes late.White said the bumper-to-bumper traffic from Nicholson to campus causes her to be late for morning classes on a regular basis.The traffic on Nicholson Drive at the intersection where Brightside Drive becomes West Lee Drive has caused drivers to complain, said Gary Graham, director of Parking, Traffic and Transportation. As part of the $903,652 Green Light Plan, engineers are drawing plans to widen Nicholson Drive and construct turning lanes at the Brightside intersection, said Ann Trappey, CEO of the company and design engineer of the Green Light Plan.The project won’t be ready for construction until 2010, said Michael Songy, Green Light Plan program director.The Baton Rouge Police Department has reported 25 traffic accidents at the intersection on Nicholson Drive since January, said L’Jean Mckneely, BRPD spokesman. Mckneely said there are too many tickets from drivers running traffic lights and other violations given at the intersection to report an accurate number.  The city-parish approved the Green Light Plan in 2005 and hired CSRS Inc., a management firm, to oversee all intersection and road projects, Songy said. Songy said about 36 separate projects will be constructed in East Baton Rouge Parish and the city has known for years there were traffic problems at the Brightside intersection.Before the Green Light Plan was approved, the city had a project to reduce the traffic at the intersection, Songy said. The Brightside intersection was included in the Green Light Plan because Brightside Drive and Nicholson Drive are part of the route to improve Baton Rouge roads and intersections, Songy said. Forte and Tablada engineers are designing the plans for the intersection. Preliminary plans were turned into Green Light Plan managers Sept. 18, said Trappey.Sarah Karlow, kinesiology sophomore, said she lives on Brightside Lane and drives to campus every day. She said it takes her almost 30 minutes to get to campus. Drivers block the entire lane of traffic on Nicholson when they try to turn left, Karlow said. “Because they don’t have an arrow, people stop and block all the traffic,” Karlow said. Nicholson Drive is going to be completely reconstructed to include two through lanes northbound and southbound, Trappey said. She added that turning lanes will be constructed in all directions at Brightside Drive.After these preliminary plans are turned in, the representatives from all components, including Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the city-parish and Green Light, will walk the intersection and determine if the plans are correct, Trappey said. —Contact Joy Lukachick at [email protected]