Eureka to add protected left-turn signals at Buhne and S streets

The turn at Buhne Street and S Street is about to get simpler, and safer, for drivers who use it every day. The City of Eureka said it will replace the existing signal there and add protected left-turn phases for both directions of travel, separating eastbound and westbound movements so drivers no longer have to edge through oncoming traffic at the same time.

For commuters, shoppers and delivery drivers moving through central Eureka, that change is more than a technical adjustment. It means a left turn will come with a clear green arrow, rather than the current mix of judgment calls, hesitation and squeeze-through turns that can clog an intersection and create close calls. The city’s Transportation Division, which reviews accident records, conducts traffic surveys and volume counts, and manages city-owned traffic signal equipment, has been pointing in this direction for some time.

A 2024 Transportation Safety Action Plan called for replacing pedestal-mounted signals with mast arm and pole-mounted signals at Buhne and S, along with a protected turn lane and new signal phasing. That places this project squarely inside a broader safety effort, not as a one-off fix. Caltrans traffic-signal guidance says left-turn phasing is used to manage conflicts by controlling when turning traffic may proceed, which is the core problem at busy intersections where through traffic and left-turners crowd the same space.

The city has already made a related change nearby. At Harrison Avenue and Buhne Street, Eureka moved ahead with a retrofit to a flashing yellow left-turn arrow to improve efficiency. Together, the two projects show a pattern: the city is modernizing signal timing and equipment on a corridor where turning traffic has clearly mattered enough to justify a closer look.

Crews are expected to begin the Buhne and S project Friday at 9 a.m., so drivers should expect a transition period while the lights are replaced and the new pattern settles in. The practical question for anyone stuck in the lane is straightforward: will it save time, or just move the backup somewhere else? The answer is likely a mix of both, with protected turns reducing conflict and confusion at the cost of giving left-turn drivers their own waiting phase before they can move.