A TSO traffic nightmare

I left the newspaper early Wednesday night for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at the Show Me Center. I knew the concert would be crowded, causing a slight delay getting in. I also knew I didn't want to miss any of what may be the best show the Show Me Center will host all year. Say what you want, but the members of TSO are good at what they do.

That being said, I thought 25 minutes would give me plenty of time to travel the few blocks it would take me to arrive at my destination -- a trip that normally takes only five minutes. I was very, very, very wrong.

The first sign of trouble came when I reached the intersection of Sprigg and Bellevue streets. Traffic was stalled, cars were sitting with no sign of movement any time soon.

At first I thought, "Well, this traffic will get moving soon enough. After all, there's a stop light less than a block away that's probably holding things up."

Nope. The stop light wasn't the problem.

As a kind stranger let me turn onto Sprigg Street, it became apparent that I would not reach my destination for some time to come. This was gridlock as bad as you see in big cities -- bumper to bumper, barely any movement, people getting angry. These people were on their way to see a concert that delivers one of the most positive messages in existence -- peace and love. But peace and love was the last thing on their minds, or on mine.

I'd have a chance to stew about sitting still for 35 minutes until I finally got to the venue, at which time I had to park far away and trudge through the wind and cold rain to reach the box office, where my ticket was waiting for me. Before I got there, I saw a truck almost run over a Show Me Center parking attendant standing at New Madrid and Sprigg streets, the busiest corner in town at the time. Poor guy. I also saw a car run up on a curb and ruin a tire. Things were looking bad.

As it turns out, the whole horrible scenario was caused by just two people. There was a two-vehicle wreck on Sprigg Street, right at the Show Me Center, that turned into a traffic nightmare for the majority of the more than 5,000 people trying to get to the venue on time to see a show for which they'd paid big bucks. Can you blame them for being angry? I can't. I was angry, and I didn't even have to pay for my ticket.

I know there's little the Show Me Center personnel could have done to stop the wreck or the even bigger figurative wreck that occurred afterward. Here's what I do know -- something needs to happen to prevent a re-occurrence.

I'm no traffic logician, so I don't pretend to know the answers. Finding answers isn't my job -- criticism is. I'm sure I'll catch some flak for that statement, but hey, it's the truth. Maybe there could have been more city police officers out helping to direct the traffic. I saw none.

Maybe, if they had been there, they could have re-routed traffic down some other streets.

I do know the Show Me Center has rarely had to deal with this kind of situation, and they weren't prepared. I can't blame them for that.

And the Show Me Center isn't exactly positioned in a way to provide multiple access points. You can reach the place from Sprigg Street or from New Madrid Street, and that's it.

But maybe a contingency plan can be formed. Maybe when there's an accident on Sprigg Street, there can be some way to route traffic to New Madrid Street. A traffic cop strategically positioned on Sprigg Street could have accomplished the feat, with a few positioned at other important intersections.

Sometimes it's hard enough to get people to the Show Me Center as it is. With Southeast Missouri's finicky crowds, some people may have been turned off enough by the traffic jam to avoid the venue for a long time to come. Let's hope not. We need crowds in order to keep the entertainment coming.

Matt Sanders is the Arts & Leisure editor for the Southeast Missourian and the editor of OFF Magazine.