ALBANY, Ore. -- State transporation officials confirmed Thursday that the green lights in an Albany intersection overlap, giving a green to traffic going in both directions -- but they don't think it is a safety hazard.

In fact, the lights are timed that way on purpose.

KVAL News reported on an Albany man who says he got a ticket for running a red light when in fact he had a green light.

Rick Little with the Oregon Department of Transportation told KVAL News the lights overlap as a "unique solution to a unique intersection."

He said the second light stays green longer to flush out traffic from under the overpass so that opposite traffic can safely get through.

That means it was possible the man had a green and so did the police officer who wrote him a ticket for allegedly running a red light.