The Missouri Department of Transportation is gearing up to hold a public forum to discuss proposed safety updates designed to curb the concerning crash rate on Route 30 through Jefferson County. According to MoDOT's announcement, the conversation will unfold in an open house meeting slated for June 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Cedar Hill Elks Lodge, inviting residents to weigh in on the matter firsthand.
In a distressing tally over the past half-decade, officials recorded 1,620 motor vehicle collisions within a specific 20-mile expanse of Route 30. These figures are to now inform a series of interventions MoDOT hopes quickly to begin implementing, aimed squarely at reducing instances of severe and fatal outcomes. Methods on the table span from highway staples – think illuminated stop signs and more visible road signal backplates – to the less conventional, like travel lanes narrowed for the sake of persuading drivers to heed the road's winding topography.
The slated improvements come as an extension of an expansive $52 million Safety Improvements Project, targeting the City of St. Louis and neighboring St. Louis and Jefferson counties. Commuters who frequent Route 30's running canvas from Route Y to Old Sugar Creek Road can expect to navigate a few changes, including the widening of road markings and the strategic downsizing of lane widths.
The open-house format meeting promises to break the proposed changes down without veering into formal presentations. People can just pop in anytime within the two-hour window, giving them a chance freely to circulate, peruse project specifics, and engage directly with MoDOT authorities and project consultants regarding the envisioned safety enhancements. In a move to keep the community looped in, CMS boards and yard signs have already been set up, echoing details of the public gathering.
For any individual needing special assistance to attend the meeting, all effort will be made to accommodate. MoDOT specifically requests that those with accessibility requirements reach out to Senior Communications Specialist Rachel V. Sudduth by the prior June 17, by dialing 314-343-7731 to arrange necessary services.
