The town of Salem would like to install its first stoplight in town in anticipation of a new high school but will need cooperation from the Utah Department of Transportation.

"Additional traffic, small as it might be, wasn't enough to warrant a traffic light at that location," said Doug Bassett, Region 3 traffic engineer for UDOT.

Bassett said the area has been studied in preparation for the new school, and officials are convinced most of the traffic in and out of the school will be focused on other roads, as the school does not open directly onto SR 198. The school has access points on 400 North, and the main access appears to be toward the middle of town.

Mayor Lane Henderson said UDOT looks at the current number of cars on the road to make its decision, but the city would like to look ahead at the estimated number. Students at the new high school will add 600 to 700 cars on the roadway, which already suffers from congestion.

"To me, it seems like, can't we look down the road a little bit?" he said.

Henderson said he has received numerous complaints about the intersection, which is already difficult for cars and pedestrians. With the addition of the school, he said it would be impossible for motorists to get onto SR 198 at 8 a.m. or 3:30 p.m. with students coming to and from school.

"You're going to see a lot more accidents with people being impatient," he said.

Even if the city believes a stoplight should be placed at the intersection, Bassett said UDOT cannot put one in without warrant. Doing so would only cause problems on the road.

"For starters, it's against state law to do that," he said. "It's against UDOT's policies and procedures."

If a signal is put in without any warrant and guidelines are not followed, drivers will see there is no need for the light. After time, motorists will begin to disregard the stoplight, and they may ignore others as well, Bassett said.

UDOT would like to see drivers follow traffic laws and signals, and they are more likely to do that if lights are placed where there is a need.

Henderson said a traffic signal is a definite need for Salem, but the town had already applied four times with UDOT. Since the state road is not controlled by the city, all the town can do is reapply and wait for more studies to be done.

"We believe this is the most critical spot for a stoplight," he said.

Bassett said the area has already been studied to prepare for the school's arrival and will be studied again about a month after the school opens when traffic patterns stabilize. The department will study the intersection in question, as well as another which it believes would have more use by students.

The students at the new high school may cause some extra congestion in the fall, but Nebo School District spokeswoman Lana Hiskey said the students' safety is the district's first priority. The crossing has not been looked at yet, but the school district's Safe Walking Route Committee looks at each route every year to ensure students' safety.

The school district has several options to keep students safe, even if no stoplight is installed.

Crossing guards with bright orange cones and clothing are used most often, and are very effective, Hiskey said.

Alternate routes may also be in place for students, but the committee will ensure students have a safe way to get to school.

"If they need to cross that highway, then they need to cross that highway," she said.