Two intersections on a rural St. Amant highway are getting solar-powered flashing stop signs and rumble strips after racking up dozens of crashes over the past five years, including one fatal wreck. Ascension Parish officials say they hope to have the upgrades finished at Stringer Bridge Road's intersections with George Lambert Road and Beco Road between late October and early November.
The Ascension Parish Department of Transportation partnered with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development on the project after crash records painted a troubling picture of the corridor. DOTD crash records obtained by WBRZ show the George Lambert Road intersection logged 22 collisions over the last five years, including one fatal crash, while the Beco Road intersection saw 20 crashes over the same period, according to DOTD reports cited by the station.
Daniel Helms, Ascension's director of transportation, said officials are hopeful the changes will make a difference on a road that has become one of the parish's more dangerous stretches. “We certainly hope that it fixes the problem but we know it's going to be a change from what is out there currently so we hope there is a positive impact,” Helms said, per the station's report.
Why Officials Chose Other Safety Measures
Stringer Bridge Road is also identified as Louisiana Highway 935 and runs through St. Amant, according to a 2013 report from the American Press.
The station reported that the two intersections do not meet state traffic-volume requirements.
With a full signal off the table, parish and state officials settled on lower-cost countermeasures instead. Solar-powered flashing lights will be added to the stop signs at both intersections, and rumble strips will be installed at George Lambert Road and Beco Road to give approaching drivers both sound and vibration cues, per the same account.
The Research Behind Flashing Beacons And Rumble Strips
The combination isn't arbitrary. One study of active LED stop signs reported a statistically significant improvement in driver compliance, according to a study. Federal highway safety guidelines describe transverse rumble strips as raised or grooved pavement patterns that create audible noise and physical vibration to warn drivers of an approaching stop sign or hazard, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
Both tools are designed to combat the kind of driver inattention that becomes especially dangerous on a road carrying more than 6,000 cars a day, a volume the station's report attributes to Stringer Bridge Road. That traffic load has consequences: emergency responders closed Stringer Bridge Road at George Lambert Road on August 16 after a three-vehicle collision at that intersection, according to WBRZ. A two-vehicle crash on Beco Road near Stringer Bridge Road sent one person to the hospital and prompted a road closure, the station reported.
Rural Road Safety Concerns
Stringer Bridge Road is a rural corridor where officials are pursuing safety improvements.
Residents have raised concerns about hazards along Stringer Bridge Road, and safety measures have been considered for the route.
Bigger Fix Possible If Upgrades Fall Short
Parish leaders aren't treating the flashing signs and rumble strips as a permanent solution. The Ascension Parish Transportation Committee approved a request on October 8 to evaluate the two intersections further, with staff estimating that full construction work could cost between $250,000 and $500,000 if the lower-cost upgrades don't sufficiently reduce crashes, according to Citizen Portal. For now, the lights and rumble strips are expected to be in place between late October and early November, giving drivers on one of St. Amant's busiest rural corridors a clearer warning before they reach the intersection.
