City gifts drivers with temporary traffic lights for holidays

The city of Cape Girardeau has added some functional holiday lights to its annual display. For drivers, it could be an early Christmas present.

At the Nov. 5 city council meeting, the city's elected officials unanimously agreed to put temporary traffic lights at the intersection of Bloomfield and Silver Springs roads.

Doug Leslie, Cape Girardeau's city manager, told the council that, during last year's holiday season, traffic backed up on Bloomfield Road "in excess of 2,500 feet, to near Kingshighway."

The temporary lights cost the city about $300 a day -- an estimated $12,000 for the season, according to Tim Gramling, director of the city's public works department.

He said a permanent signal would cost between $150,000 and $200,000 and take up to six months to engineer and install.

Councilwoman Debra Tracy reminded the meeting's audience the expense stems from a decision earlier this year.

The original plan was to remove permanent lights from the Pacific and Independence street intersection and install them at Bloomfield and Silver Springs roads.

After residents protested that plan, the city agreed to let those lights stay put.

Leslie said permanent lights are planned for the Bloomfield and Silver Springs intersection and will be funded though the transportation trust fund.

Geoffrey Dial, special projects coordinator for the public works department, said the lights were placed at the intersection Tuesday and set to flash Wednesday. He said the flashing is a safety measure to alert drivers to the new signals. The lights will be reset to a normal green-yellow-red cycle after today's morning rush hour. The lights are powered by large solar panels.

Dial said they will remain at the intersection for six weeks.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127