SIGNALS AT I-55 AND 61 GO ON WEDNESDAY

The traffic lights at Interstate 55 and Highway 61 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, still dangling uselessly today, should be bringing drivers to a halt by noon Wednesday.

Jim Murray, District 10 engineer for the Missouri Highways and Transportation Department, said motorists should be extremely careful while everyone gets accustomed to stopping on Highway 61 at the interchange.

Currently, there are only stop signs on the exit ramps. Some motorists ignore them, as evidenced by the high number of accidents last year. Highway Department statistics show the interchange, commonly known as Center Junction, is the second-most dangerous intersection in Cape Girardeau County, only behind Interstate 55 and Route K.

In October, a motorist coming off the interstate pulled into the path of a TCI Cablevision truck traveling Highway 61, and the truck driver was killed.

Freeman McCullah, District 10 engineer at the time, stepped up the effort to make Center Junction safer.

Department engineers worked on the traffic light project for several months, first doing studies to determine how much traffic goes through the intersection -- about 19,000 cars a day. Then they had to determine how long each light should stay green so traffic wouldn't back up.

Installation of the lights began two weeks ago but was hampered by rain and lack of needed materials. Total cost of the project was almost $35,000.

The lights may not be a permanent solution to the intersection's problems, Murray said, but their benefits will be seen quickly.

"Traffic lights are a solution we can implement right away," he said. "There could be some changes in construction, but then you are talking about a much longer timeframe."

Murray's department also is installing warning signs on both sides of the intersection to alert motorists to the new traffic signals. In addition, Cape Girardeau and Jackson police will assist motorists in remembering the signals are operating.

The Missouri Division of Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Administration provided grants to put officers near the junction to stop speeders.