Delays with the traffic lights planned for Idaho-Maryland Road at Railroad Avenue have pushed the City of Grass Valley to opt for temporary stop signs in the near future.

Growth and the adjacent Golden Center Freeway's on- and offramps have made the area one of Grass Valley's most tangled for traffic.

Traffic lights were planned and partially paid for with traffic mitigation fees by Weaver Auto and Truck Center, Hills Flat Lumber and other businesses when they built in the area.

But City Engineer Tim Kiser reported this week that during the past 18 months, building project engineers have been unable to secure permits for the signals from the California Department of Transportation.

"Caltrans said final approval is six months away," Kiser said.

Because of that, City Council members voted unanimously this week to put the stop signs up in the near future, but no firm date was announced.

The council this week also approved the design for the proposed Dorsey Drive Interchange to get it in the Caltrans project pipeline. The interchange has been planned for years, and is designed to relieve traffic flow and provide a quicker route to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital.

Dan Landon, executive director of the Nevada County Transportation Commission, urged the city to get going because of the rising price of construction. Caltrans representative Winder Bajwa said once construction starts, traffic will flow in at least one lane, with occasional 30-minute delays.

Kiser said the project should not be done in phases because Caltrans has warned that grant funding would not be available piecemeal. If 70 more people had voted for the city's Measure T road improvement plan last November, "we would have landed the money," Mayor Mark Johnson said.

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To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail davem@theunion.com, or call 477-4237.