Eureka Reconfigures Buhne and S Street Traffic Signal Starting March 13

A traffic signal at the intersection of Buhne Street and S Street in Eureka will be reconfigured beginning Friday, March 13, at 2 p.m., with the city installing a Split Phasing pattern that separates the eastbound and westbound movements on Buhne Street into consecutive, non-overlapping signal phases.

Under the new configuration, eastbound Buhne Street travel lanes will be serviced singularly and then terminated before the signal switches to serve westbound Buhne travel lanes. That sequencing marks a departure from a standard concurrent green, where opposing directions of traffic on the same street move at the same time. The City of Eureka announced the change in a press release issued ahead of the Friday afternoon start.

Signage will be posted on Buhne Street to alert drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians to the new signal operation while the reconfiguration is being implemented. The city's announcement specifically called out all three user groups: "The patience and cooperation of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in the vicinity of the Buhne Street and S Street is greatly appreciated while the traffic signal reconfiguration is being implemented."

The city framed the work as routine infrastructure upkeep rather than a response to a specific incident. "The City of Eureka realizes that this disruption is an inconvenience, but maintaining the City's streets infrastructure is vital to the health and safety of our residents," the press release stated.

The announcement prompted some confusion online, with at least one reader questioning whether the work was actually at Buhne and T Street rather than S Street. That confusion was quickly corrected: S Street is the last lettered cross street on Buhne heading east, making Buhne and T a nonexistent intersection. The City's press release, which was itself updated after distribution to correct an unspecified typo, consistently identifies the site as Buhne and S.

The city has not publicly stated how long the reconfiguration process is expected to take or whether any temporary lane closures will be in effect during the signal work Friday afternoon.