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Two roads in Halifax County are among nearly a dozen which will become all-way stops, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

The department this week awarded a $580,000 contract to Highway Traffic Control of Durham to do the work, which can begin between August and October.

The two roads in Halifax County to become all-way stops are Washington Avenue at Eleventh Street in Weldon and Highway 48 at Highway 903.

Once started the contractor will have eight months to complete the improvements. 

The contractor has the flexibility to make the changes in any order, but typically will be done on Wednesdays. The contractor will be required to notify the public with signs before the change is made.

Drivers who encounter these intersections on the day of installation should slow down, be cautious and follow directions from flaggers directing traffic. 

The department's traffic engineers evaluated the intersections and determined they warranted all-way stops to reduce the risk of crashes. 

The typical crash pattern involved drivers who had failed to yield crashing into vehicles that did not have to stop at the intersection. 

The department said the benefits of all-way stops are as follows:

Improves safety while causing a minimal increase in travel time.

Reduces the need for drivers to wait until there is a safe gap in opposing traffic.

Are more predictable compared to traffic signals.

Can serve as a temporary solution until a permanent improvement, such as a roundabout, can be funded and constructed.

Are more cost-effective than other types of safety projects.

The following rules apply when approaching an all-way stop:

The first vehicle at the intersection has the right of way

When two or more vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, the vehicle to the right has the right of way and may go straight or, if legal and after signaling, turn left or right

When two facing vehicles approach an intersection simultaneously, both drivers can move straight ahead or turn right. If one driver is going straight while the other wants to turn left, the driver who wants to turn left must yield

Even with the right of way, drivers should remember to use appropriate turn signals and watch for pedestrians and other vehicles.