Officials with the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission on Tuesday approved a nearly $900,000 project to improve traffic flow along West Causeway Approach around Dalwill Drive, an area notorious for illegal u-turns, clogged traffic and frustrated motorists.

After years of witnessing near accidents and fielding complaints — especially when nearby Mandeville High School is dismissed — Causeway officials decided to pump $899,020 into the area to add and extend existing turning lanes, build new median openings, add curbs in the median and build two north/south culverts to improve drainage, according to the project memorandum.

While larger in scale, the project centers on improving traffic flow around Dalwill Drive between Mary Queen of Peace’s driveway and the access to Garden Avenue. For years motorists have found themselves in a precarious predicament as they dart from Darwill Drive across the four-lane roadway and onto Mark Smith Drive because the roads aren’t aligned. “The misalignment of intersections has made it the worst intersection in the city of Mandeville … Its notorious,” said Steve Phillippi, regional president of consulting firm Krebs, Lasalle, Lemieux Consultants Inc.

The Greater New Orleans Causeway Commission approved the firm to design and bid the project. It’s unclear once a bid is awarded, how long construction will take.

As designed, the project would extend medians from Heritage Manor to just past Dalwill Drive along West Causeway Approach forcing motorists to make u-turns to get to their destination on the other side of the split direction roadway. Motorists leaving Mark Smith Drive will be forced to turn right, enter a turning lane and make a U-turn to head northwest toward Dalwill drive.

Dalwill Drive motorists will likewise see a similar solution, also forced to turn right, headed northeast and enter a turning lane to make a U-turn and head back toward Mark Smith Drive.

New Causeway commissioner Pat Brister, a former St. Tammany Parish Councilwoman who lives in the area, said some motorists even go as far as to cross the grassy medians without waiting in a turning lane.

“It really is a major safety issue and this is a good solution,” she said.

To halt those drivers, the Commission also plans to include installation of curbs.