RESIDENTS VOICE DISPLEASURE OVER INTERSECTION PLAN

People living near the intersection of Henderson Avenue and New Madrid Street never loved its design.

They fought for various traffic signs and held their breath when they passed through, hoping drivers would comply with the signs.

Now, some say, the intersection will get even worse.

Several in the neighborhood attended Monday's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting to protest a plan by Southeast Missouri State University to revamp Henderson, New Madrid and Greek Drive. They said it wasn't the plan they saw last year when the city promoted a transportation sales tax to pay for changes.

Three potential designs went to the Planning and Zoning Commission this year. Commission members R.J. McKinney and Harry Rediger told the council the commission chose the best plan, although members weren't completely satisfied with it and recommended some changes.

University engineers made the changes and showed the new design to city engineers. Planning and Zoning commissioners never voted on the plan again.

But the City Council did, approving it on a 5-2 vote May 20.

The new intersection will blend Henderson, New Madrid and Greek into a system of turn lanes, yield signs and stop signs that university engineers believe will keep traffic moving quickly and safely.

The design creates a larger jog in Henderson and brings Greek into it. Several white and yellow lines will direct drivers.

David Roth, a lawyer who lives on nearby Sailer Circle, said the new design creates a "T" intersection of Henderson and New Madrid. Its elevation is 6 feet lower than another Henderson-New Madrid intersection at the top of a hill.

"The plans indicate there will be a yield sign at New Madrid," Roth said. "People currently don't stop for the stop sign, so I wonder if American drivers will yield for a yield sign."

Melva Lewis, another Sailer Circle resident, pointed out that North Henderson is the only outlet for her street. She must go through the New Madrid-Henderson intersection several times each day.

Lewis said she and her neighbors were waiting for the plans to go back to Planning and Zoning for approval. She was out of town two weeks ago when the council considered the issue, and her neighbors were caught off guard.

"The plans are very complicated," Lewis said. "I don't see how you can put up any kind of traffic controls that will work."

Following the meeting, Mayor Al Spradling III said the council legally could change its mind on the plans if the university hasn't bid the job. However, he doubted that would happen.