PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — The Portsmouth Police Department is warning drivers of a power outage affecting intersections from Mabert Road to Findlay Street, telling motorists to treat the darkened traffic signals as four-way stops until electricity is restored.
The department said in a Facebook post that American Electric Power has been notified of the outage, but it was not immediately known when power would be restored to the area.
Under Ohio law, drivers approaching an intersection where the traffic signal is not displaying any lights must stop before entering the intersection and yield the right of way to other vehicles already there or approaching from another direction, the same procedure used at a standard four-way stop, according to Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.132.
Portsmouth, the Scioto County seat, sits along the Ohio River in southern Ohio. The police department urged residents traveling through the affected corridor to use extra caution at intersections without working signals.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Portsmouth Police Department.
