William Street intersection to get traffic signal, median

LEIF ROSAS * Associated Press

A timekeeper watched the clock with unidentified competitors at right during the final of the extreme sport sauna bathing competition in the town of Heinola, 95 miles east of Helsinki, Finland, on Saturday.By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian

It happens to Jonell Cougill on an almost daily basis. She finds herself sitting in her idling car on William Street, waiting for up to five agonizing minutes for the slightest gap in traffic that would allow her to dart onto Farrar Drive and on to her job at Amoco D-Mart.

For her -- and thousands of other area drivers -- this situation is the rule, not the exception.

"It's extremely frustrating," Cougill said Saturday. "I get agitated."

State transportation officials want to alleviate that agitation by cutting traffic congestion. The Missouri Department of Transportation plans to add traffic signals to that intersection, place a concrete median on William and include an extra left-turn lane from William onto northbound Mount Auburn.

"What we've heard from the people and the business owners out there is that traffic is getting so heavy, it's very difficult to turn left out of Farrar Drive and out of the Holiday Inn," said Barry Horst, the project engineer for MoDOT. "We think this will make it easier."

The work will begin next summer, Horst said, timed to coincide with the renovation of the new Holiday Inn Express, which will replace the Holiday Inn.

"We wanted to do it then when not as many cars will be going in and out of there," he said.

Stopping traffic

A four-way intersection will be created at William and Farrar Drive, Horst said. That means traffic on William will have to stop when drivers turn in to the hotel or to the convenience stores and restaurants on the other side.

The state estimates 15,000 cars use the William-Farrar intersectioneach day and, with Midamerica Hotels' renovation plans, which include as many as five restaurants, that number is only going to grow.

"We've been working with the businesses and the city, and the feeling is that the signals will really help the traffic movement," Horst said.

The concrete median, he said, will prohibit left turns onto William between Farrar and Mount Auburn. That limits the amount of traffic on William, which also will make it safer, Horst said.

An extra turning lane will be added on William for drivers turning left onto Mount Auburn.

"Those left turn lanes are so heavily used," he said. "It gets backed up for quite a ways. With two lanes, it should get better."

Horst said no cost estimates were available yet.

Safety first

Bob Hahn, the vice president of development for Midamerica Hotels, said their goal was making the intersection safer.

"Safety is really our prime consideration," Hahn said. "The signals are going to improve the situation. The traffic movements are going to be improved, too. It will improve flow in and out of businesses on both sides of the street."

The Holiday Inn will shut down Sept. 1, Hahn said. The new hotel is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2004, about the same time the road work is expected to be finished.

Police agree the signals are needed.

"When they put in those shopping center type stores, that flow of traffic is going to increase heavily," said Cape Girardeau traffic Sgt. Jack Wimp. "It's extremely hard to get in and out of there."

Wimp said he could not provide accident figures for that site last week because of a police computer glitch. But his feeling was that few accidents happen there.

"Most people realize how confusing that is and are extra cautious," he said.

Regardless, drivers are looking forward to the intersection already.

"We need something there badly," said James Eakin, who drives through the intersection to get to his job at the Citco convenience store, which is next to Dmart. "Drivers need some help in getting in and out of here."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137