MARSHALL — A busy intersection on Susan Drive in Marshall will be the focus of a study to improve traffic flow and safety. This week, Marshall City Council members approved a proposal to have an engineering firm evaluate the intersection of Susan Drive and the frontage road that goes past businesses like Harbor Freight and Walmart.

Earlier this month, the city received proposals from SEH and Bolton & Menk to do an intersection control evaluation (ICE). The council’s Public Improvement and Transportation committee recommended a roughly $33,000 proposal from Bolton & Menk.

Marshall Public Works Director Jason Anderson said the city was looking for a way to make the intersection with the frontage road safer and easier to get through.

“It’s quite a busy and wide street area there, and there’s numerous travel lanes at each leg of the intersection,” Anderson said. All those factors could make it hazardous for cross traffic to get up toward the traffic light at the intersection of Susan Drive and U.S. Highway 59, he said. “It’s further troubled by the free left turns that come in off of Highway 59, in towards Harbor Freight, that make it a little tricky to navigate.”

In August, the PI/T Committee gave its approval to look for engineering proposals for an ICE of the frontage road intersection. On Sept. 15, the committee received two proposals, said council member Craig Schafer. The proposal they recommended was from Bolton & Menk, for $33,773.85.

Anderson said Bolton & Menk would do the evaluation, and prepare a formal report with a traffic count and other analysis for possible safety improvements.

“We’re in favor of it. It was a good bid from Bolton & Menk, and they’ve done a good job with us on traffic stuff in the past,” Schafer said.

Anderson said the city engineering department included $30,000 in its budget to do an ICE on the intersection.

Council members voted 6-1 in favor of awarding the low proposal from Bolton & Menk. Council member Steven Meister cast the vote against.