Q. I’m writing about the intersection of Main Street and Fairview Avenue in West Warwick. This intersection was updated a number of years ago. The problem is that the red light is biased toward the traffic coming into the intersection from the south on Main Street. This works at evening rush hour, but the traffic in the morning is just the opposite. Does this warrant the timing being altered? Also, the bridge on Fairview Avenue was damaged years ago. There are Jersey barriers and orange plastic fencing there, but it seems dangerous. Will it be fixed?

A. RIDOT did a field review of the traffic signal and noticed that there is a broken vehicle detector at this intersection. When there is a broken detector on an approach, the traffic controller places a “constant call” which basically makes the signal operate as if there is always a vehicle over that detector. This typically continues to extend the green light on that approach for a preset maximum time.

The detector on the northbound approach, coming from the south on Main Street, is broken and is therefore defaulting to the maximum time of 25 seconds. By comparison, the southbound approach, coming from the north on Main Street, receives anywhere between 12 and 35 seconds of green time.

We have adjusted the time so that the southbound approach always gets the green light for a fixed period of 25 seconds. This should help to allocate the green light more equitably until the detector is repaired. RIDOT’s Maintenance division has been asked to take a look at the bridge on Fairview Avenue, near Main Street, and look into the possibility of repairing its railing as soon as possible.

Trucks unwelcome

Q. I live on Mendon Road in Woonsocket, which is maintained by the DOT. There are many 18-wheelers that drive down this road every hour. Mendon Road is used as a shortcut from Route 99 to Franklin, Mass., by truckers traveling to Garelick Farms, the Dunkin Donuts Distribution Center, and BJ’s Distribution Center. My question is should these truckers be using this road, which travels through a residential neighborhood and two elementary schools and is not a numbered highway?

A. Mendon Road in Woonsocket is a State numbered highway (Route 122) from the Cumberland Town Line to the intersection with Cumberland Hill Road. Although the section of Mendon Road from this intersection to the Massachusetts state line is no longer a numbered route, it is still a Rhode Island state owned and maintained road. RIDOT can only impose restrictions as to the weight of a vehicle, on bridges that are posted due to their type and/or condition. RIDOT cannot impose weight restrictions on roads.

Dana Alexander Nolfe, chief public affairs officer for the state Department of Transportation, has agreed to answer questions of general interest posed by Journal readers about state roads and other state transportation matters.

The DOT is responsible for the state’s transportation infrastructure, which includes highways, bridges, traffic signals and bikeways.

To ask a question that would also be of interest to other readers, send a letter to Ask RIDOT, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902. You can also e-mail your question to projocars@projo.com. Please put “Question for the DOT” in the subject field.

Questions or complaints of a specific nature should be posed to the DOT directly and will not be answered in this column.