ST. LOUIS — One of the most dangerous stretches of road in the area is up for improvements, and MoDOT is seeking public input as the work gets underway.
In 2017, Natural Bridge in St. Louis City was designated a “travel safe zone.” This increased patrols and penalties for law-breaking drivers along what’s also known as Route 115.
However, it hasn’t been enough. More than 16,000 cars pass through the stretch of road daily, and the area is still the site of more crashes than similarly traveled roads. MoDOT cites improper lane usage, speeding, and jaywalking as the problems.
5 On Your Side looked specifically at the issue of pedestrian-involved crashes, and the numbers from the last few years are startling. The MSHP STARS reporting system shows 55 pedestrian-related crashes since 2015, with 7 fatalities.
Engineers with MoDOT are proposing several safety options:
- Reducing traffic from two lanes in each direction to one between Euclid and Parnell/Salisbury
- Adding Roundabouts at Goodfellow, Vendeventer, and Salisbury/Parnell
- Painting crosswalks mid-block with flashing signals in several spots with heavy foot-traffic
- Installing medians in various spots between Euclid and Salisbury/Parnell
- Adding yellow reflective back plates around signals and more highly visible crosswalk striping
Wednesday night, they will host an open house meeting to share information and gather public comment. It’s happening from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Best Place (an event venue) at 5796 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. For more information about the project, visit their website.
MORE LOCAL NEWS
- Eureka High School deals with fallout from racist social media post
- New legislation aimed at helping St. Louis man serving 241-year prison sentence
- Has St. Louis County run out of Prop P money?
- 8 children shot in St. Louis since New Year has city talking crime prevention
- Historic Alton overlook collapses months after heavy rain