District signals operating again

Update 5:55p.m.: Most of the traffic lights are functioning normally, according to DDOT, after it reset their electrical circuit.

Update 4:55p.m.: Eight traffic lights remain out, mostly in the northwest quadrant. DDOT spokesman John Lisle says the department doesn't yet know what caused traffic lights to go out at more than a dozen intersections at about 3:30 this afternon, but that the situation is "fairly frequent" and should be rectified by the end of the day.

No accidents as a result of the flashing lights have been reported so far, according to Lisle. DDOT is working with city police to deploy police officers, traffic controller officers and temporary stop signs to the busiest intersections to help direct traffic, he said.

DDOT is warning motorists to proceed with caution and wait for their turn. "If you come to an intersection that's normally controlled by a light and it's flashing, the thing to do is treat it as a four-way stop," Lisle said.

--Stephanie Lee

Update 4:40p.m.: More than a dozen DC intersections have malfunctioning traffic signals heading into the evening commute. Police or traffic officials will be present at some to help guide traffic; others with flashing signals will need to be treated as four-way stops, even when driving along a major thoroughfare, and commuters should expect to encounter delays near the intersections, officials said.

The outages affect multiple parts of the city, including the Capitol Hill, Benning Road and Connecticut Ave. areas. According the DDOT, the intersections are:

Benning Rd and 34th street NE
Benning Rd and Anacostia NE
Benning Rd and 17th street NE
10th and H street NE
6th and Maryland Ave NE
6th and Constitution Ave NE
15th and C street NE
7th and N street NW
13th and Florida Ave NW
21st and Conn. Ave NW
16th street and Upshur st NW
24th and Pennsylvania Ave NW

Original post: More than a dozen traffic signals at intersections across the city are flashing, rather than controlling traffic, due to a system error, the District's Department of Transportation reports.

The contractor responsible for the traffic lights has been notified, but in the meantime, be on the lookout, and remember to treat those lights as four-way stops.