I work in that plaza and I encounter so many issues at this intersection. People that go straight into the plaza just to do a "u-turn" so that they can go down stillwater - since there is no left turn there. As well as people that think they can go straight in the right turn only lane. : /

I agree! Just about every time I am there I get behind someone in the wrong lane. I was turning today and a person in front of me wanted to go straight. When I went to pull out to go around them I almost got hit because a car was coming off the ramp too quickly!

We've already been over this.

the number of lights is correct. One light is for redundancy, just as you see at other intersections. (For example, Central Street to Hammond Street in downtown Bangor has three lanes and four lights. Two of the lights are for the straight lane.)

If there were only one light at the Stillwater interchange and that light were to go out, traffic going straight wouldn't know when they could proceed, as the right-turn signals change before the straight signal does.

The issue is drivers not paying attention to the lane markers.

I will also add again the lights are misaligned, they are not aligned properly to the lane they represent, hence what causes people who do not see the signs hanging up or the paint on the road to wait to go straight, if a second light is so warranted, they can peg the light on a seperate post in the center island.

Then the problem is the lane markers are not clearly marked early enough. By the time they realize they are in the wrong lane their stuck trying to go straight in the right turn lane. (or better the driver behind them is stuck)

In addition the amount of drivers that are put in a dangerous situation over this is far greater than the rare instances the "lights may go out".

Again, any confusion is the doing of the drivers not paying attention. About 200 feet before the intersection, signs tell drivers the left lane is for going straight only. Then at the intersection you have another set of signs clearly showing the left lane goes straight, the middle lane goes right, and the right lane goes right.

The idiots who get into the middle lane thinking they can go straight simply didn't pay attention to the signs. It has nothing to do with the lights. I mean, come on, there's an island staring right at them and they still think they're in the correct lane to go straight.

Once they realize they made a mistake, they have an obligation to follow the law and proceed in the direction mandated by the regulatory signs. It is they who are creating the dangerous situation by insisting on going straight when all they need to do is turn right, as they are supposed to.

Ryan are you the person who is in charge of reviewing and answering these issues? I am thinking not as you are marked as Guest....

A lot of this needs to be addressed with the state for this as they had a lot of say with traffic flow, signals, etc. One thing that can change is the fact the signs hung are right at the area of where traffic merges from the interstate. It is a little hard for a driver to be responsbile especially one who is not familiar with the area to watch for a careless driver crossing three lanes without slowing down, using a directional etc, and then to also rely on looking at a sign hung high in the same spot to determine which lane you need to be in. It is easier at 6am not 6pm. Sure if you go in the wrong lane, turn around, execute the turn because the sign is right, but not the light so much, but a sign has a higher priority over a light in the event a light is out however. Sadly some people like the lazy way out, and not go 382 feet to turn around and come back. It has been tried once to fix this intersection for left hand turns even, but there has been additonal traffic studies done to fix a lot of congestion in the area. Though the concerns keep going in with the city and the state, it would seem any changes are going to be put off as long as they can.
Though done more then once, I would encourage anyone who disagrees with any piece of the intersection setup to contact DOT directly, these already go to the city, but the city can't just fix it themselves. Even if it is the way that second arrow is setup, it is and can be misleading for many, but we are at the states mercy on this too. Ensure you contact DOT though, they seem to "miss" a lot on this site.

First, I have spoken with a retired traffic engineer. That's where my knowledge of why the traffic lights are configured the way they are comes from.

Second, green informational signs well before the intersection tell drivers the lane designations, followed by the regulatory signs at the intersection. The only confusion comes from inattentive drivers.

Ryan, I am sure everyone on this site appreciates a comment with the best of them. However, it looks like you need to get a job and let the people in charge of this site answer the questions. I would appreciate you ignoring my complaint...I don't need or like your unprofessional advise.