CONGESTION MORE THAN HEADACHE

Darlene Williams and Robin Farrow can control the scary things inside their Halloween House. But the co-owners of the Halloween House and A Party and Flower Shop have no say about the hazardous traffic situation outside their stores at Independence and Kingshighway.

Because of work on the Cape LaCroix-Walker Creek flood-control project, traffic is limited to one westbound lane on Independence.

When traffic backs up four or five blocks from the Halloween House, drivers take an alternate route, and that is when Williams and Farrow believe the danger escalates.

"The turnaround, where cars use our parking lot to go east, is dangerous because they go so fast," said Williams. Said Farrow, "We've got children going in and out of our stores and parking lot, and I'm just afraid someone is going to get hurt."

They would like to see the eastbound lane opened to alleviate the hazardous situation.

The situation became so confusing on Monday, the mailman had to ask for directions. Compounding the problem was the fact that due to a malfunction in the traffic light on Kingshighway Monday, only the left-turn signal worked. The problem was not solved until late in the afternoon.

The westbound lane snakes to the left and is confusing at night because there are no reflectors to help drivers see a concrete barrier.

The traffic situation at Independence and Kingshighway came up at Monday's city council meeting.

City Planning Coordinator Ken Eftink said the contractors have told the city the street will have to be closed until mid-November. Eftink said the original date of completion for the project was Dec. 12.

Asked if there was any way to direct traffic east instead of west, Eftink said the contractors and Missouri Highway and Transportation Department have told him the traffic flows better when it goes west.

"When the traffic flows west, drivers have more options than they do when they head east," Eftink said. "If you were able to go east on Independence from Kingshighway, the first option to turn is Clark, and then the next is Sheridan. When it goes westbound onto Kingshighway, you have more turning options."

The eastbound lane on Independence was closed Aug. 15.

Having just one lane open has hurt sales at the Halloween House. But Williams and Farrow said they are more concerned with the danger outside their stores than any financial loss they might suffer.

"We still have our steady customers and they know how to get in and out of here," said Farrow. But the perilous situation continues to exist as long as traffic backs up. "Yesterday it was backed up to Minnesota," said Williams. That is when cars began using their parking lot to turn around and head east.

There are other stores affected by the project. Wolohan Lumber and Home Improvement Center, 120 N. Kingshighway, saw a decline in traffic when the Themis Street bridge was closed from March 25 to Aug. 12.

"There was a noticeable difference then, but it's back to normal now," said assistant manager Alan Westrich. "Actually, when they widened the bridge and took the speed bump out, it probably made it easier to get to us," said Westrich.