A section of U.S. Highway 69 just north of Ames has been the site of an increasing number of traffic accidents.

Eight accidents have been reported between July 1 and Sept. 30, authorities said, and at least four more minor accidents have gone unreported, officials said.

Capt. Gary Foster of the Story County Sheriff’s Office said the strip of highway near the recently opened Ada Hayden Heritage Park is averaging about one traffic incident a week.

Multiple factors make the area hazardous to drivers, Foster said.

“A lot of things contribute — extra vehicles coming in and out of the park and the lack of traffic controls in the area,” he said. Distracted drivers looking at the lake also cause traffic accidents.

All of the accidents have been minor, with no serious injuries or fatalities, Foster said.

The new park is creating some traffic problems with people turning in and out of the park, said Don Faas, who lives on the highway a mile north of the park entrance.

“It was a bad place to put the park entrance, right at the top of the hill,” he said.

Faas said he has noticed an increase in traffic along the road since the park’s opening. He drives the problematic strip of highway at least six times a day, and said he has witnessed many drivers pull out of the park too quickly.

“People from town don’t look at this as a highway,” he said. “This is not a city street.”

Faas said he thinks the majority of the accidents probably occur when people are making left turns on and off the highway, particularly at the park entrance. As they accelerate, they sometimes get rear-ended by oncoming traffic.

“People just need to gauge their speed properly,” he said.

A number of improvements have already been made to increase highway safety, and more are in the works. The Department of Transportation has put up several signs to warn drivers to be aware of turning traffic and have added “No Parking” signs along the shoulders.

A traffic speed study was also done, because of the increasing number of traffic accidents on the highway, said George Martens, engineer for the Department of Transportation.

If the results of this study show a need for further traffic control, more improvements will be considered, he said. The results of the speed study have been collected, but it will be another week until they are compiled for analysis.

One possible improvement that could be completed in 2006 is the addition of a turning lane on both sides of the highway at the park entrance. Increasing the number of patrollers to improve conditions is not possible, Foster said.

“We don’t have the officers to put out there,” he said. “Even if we did, it would just add to the problem by distracting drivers by setting a car there.”