Those directions will have to indicate which stoplight.

A traffic light on U.S. Highway 24-40 at North Star Drive will begin working today. The light is at Tonganoxie High School and the street that runs on the west side of Sonic Drive-In.

And it marks Tonganoxie’s second traffic light.

The signal and crosswalks were installed to increase traffic safety at the busy intersection.

Paul Gripka, field engineering administrator for the Kansas Department of Transportation, said the signal initially will operate with flashing yellow and red lights, but that will change in a few days to a regulated traffic light.

“It gets people to know they’re there and working,” Gripka said.

After a few days, a detector loop built into the pavement will determine when the traffic light changes. U.S. Highway 24-40 will have a green light until vehicles pull up to the intersection from the north and south.

The intersection work was delayed slightly because of paperwork problems with the contractor.

“An oversight cost us a month at the beginning,” Gripka said.

City administrator Shane Krull said KDOT has followed through well with the project.

“We just paid an $11,000 check and they’ve done everything since then,” Krull said.

Tonganoxie’s other traffic signal likely won’t be upgraded before the first of the year, but a new light at Highway 24-40 and Kansas Highway 16 should be installed in early January, Gripka said.

The renovation at the intersection, which involves turning lanes, also will have sensor-operated lights with detector loops in the pavement. Traffic markings should be applied to the intersection sometime in the spring.