Issues with a supplier have led to repeated delays on installing a new traffic signal at the intersection of Eighth Street and Boardman Avenue, with the latest time estimates from Traverse City staff now putting the installation in early March.

The signal is part of the Eighth Street reconstruction project, which was largely completed last fall. The signal equipment was on back-order with a supplier, with an initial delivery date scheduled for fall. That date was then pushed back to Christmas. City Engineer Tim Lodge says the supplier delayed the shipment yet again until April, prompting the city to switch to a new supplier. The new supplier is supposed to deliver the equipment by end of February, with installation taking one to two weeks to complete after that.

"The materials were ordered on time, but the (original) supplier has been difficult to accurately provide the delivery date," Lodge says of the delay. "We kept getting dates that made sense to stick with the original supplier, as opposed to changing suppliers, but they just could not deliver as promised."

The Eighth Street and Boardman Avenue intersection will continue operating as a three-way stop until the new signal is installed.