City Plans to Put up Gates on Vaughn Road

City officials are tired of worrying about drivers trying to get through the flooded path on Vaughn Road when it rains.

So they plan to gate it off.

Mayor Jerry N. Hruby told City Council members about the city’s plan to install gates on Vaughn Road that can be locked when the road floods during in .

The road had flooded earlier on Tuesday after , Hruby said, leaving a driver stranded and in need of rescue. Members of the service and were able to get the driver out of his or her car, but the car remained stuck as of Tuesday afternoon, said Director of Public Services Ron Weidig.

Vaughn Road near Riverview Road floods often, and Hruby said people tend to either ignore the posted signs—thinking the water can’t be very deep—or the signs don’t go up fast enough to stop travelers. The gates would make it impossible for drivers to get through.

Weidig said this is an idea the city has entertained in the past, but Tuesday’s incident brought it back to the forefront. They’ll have to look into the appropriate regulations and projected costs, but Weidig said he's confident they can get the gates installed before the spring.