FOUR-WAY STOP AT OLD SPRIGG-LEXINGTON INTERSECTION HELPS HOLD DOWN EXCESSIVE SPEED

In other city business, the Cape Girardeau City Council recently took a close look at a proposal to remove four-way stop signs at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Old Sprigg Street Road. After much discussion, the council rejected the proposal.

It probably was a good decision, not so much for traffic concerns, but for speed control.

The Lexington extension has been increasingly used by motorists as an outer-belt road for the city. And speed has been an issue along the stretch between the Sprigg Street extension and Cape Rock Drive. It's not uncommon to see a police car monitoring speed along that stretch in response to complaints from neighbors.

The Lexington-Old Sprigg intersection has been the site of only one accident since 1991. Traffic is pretty limited on Old Sprigg Street 665 cars per day. Compare that to 4,246 cars a day that travel Lexington and pass through that intersection.

But the loss of a stop sign likely would result in higher speeds, which could lead to more accidents. Police have already issued about 100 speeding tickets along Lexington from new Sprigg Street to Cape Rock, this year.

Council members worried that removing the stop sign could create more problems for both police and motorists. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to potential traffic hazards in the city.