Roundabout ruled out as solution to uptown Jackson congestion

A proposed roundabout in front of the Cape Girardeau County courthouse is no longer an option for easing traffic congestion in Jackson.

A St. Louis-based consulting firm had proposed building a roundabout as part of that solution, but after meetings with county and city officials, Jackson decided last week to rule out that specific option.

Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr said right-of-way constraints prompted the city to go in another direction.

"The traffic problem is serious enough that our citizens have commented about it and requested us to look at it," Lohr said. "We don't have the exact solution yet, but we're looking at something less drastic than the roundabout."

The plan would have called for a roundabout in the center of the intersection of U.S. 61, also known as High Street, and Washington Street. The plan also included installing a barrier at Hope and Washington streets and a stop light and turn lanes at Main and Hope streets.

Crawford, Bunte and Brammeier of St. Louis previously identified those areas along U.S. 61 as where traffic is most congested. Jackson's two most recent comprehensive plans identified the flow of traffic in uptown as a major concern for residents. The city's comprehensive plan serves as its policy guide for 10-year periods.

Doug Shatto of Crawford, Bunte and Brammeier last met with the Cape Girardeau County Commission in March, when he presented a revised plan that would have moved the roundabout 15 to 20 feet farther south.

During that meeting commissioners voiced reservations about moving the roundabout because it might encroach upon a tree that was used to hang people convicted of murder in the county. The tree is more than 100 years old and is the last "hanging tree" in the county.

If the roundabout had been left as originally proposed, it would have forced either the city, county or the Missouri Department of Transportation to acquire a corner of the property at a home at the northeast corner of the intersection. Shatto said the cost of acquiring the property was potentially prohibitive and didn't feel it was prudent to continue in that direction.

A short-term solution recommended by the city of Jackson at the intersection calls for westbound traffic restricted to right turns only from Washington onto High Street, with additional guidance striping added. Eastbound traffic on Washington Street would be restricted to continuing in that direction instead of having an option of turning north onto High Street. Southbound traffic on High Street would still be able to turn right or left.

Cape Girardeau County 1st District Commissioner Paul Koeper said he would be in favor of adding a lane to the south side of Washington Street, which would eliminate a small portion of the north courthouse lawn and the parking lot on the north side of the administrative building. Koeper said small retaining walls could be added in both locations with no parking lost.

Shatto said the plan is not final since no funds have been set aside and MoDOT must give final approval. Shatto's firm will develop the costs involved before moving forward. He expects the costs to be finalized in the next few weeks and that the new plan will be several hundred thousand dollars cheaper than the original plan.

"This is a good short-term solution," Shatto said. "We would encourage the city and state to continue with a long-term solution."

Ward 4 Alderman Joe Bob Baker said the city, county and Missouri Department of Transportation will now move forward on the next solution, though he is unsure of the right one.

"There's just not a good solution here," Baker said. "I thought the roundabout was a good idea when I saw it on the simulator, but when we got out to the site and staked the ground where it would go, I knew it probably wouldn't work."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

243-8600

Pertinent addresses:

1 Barton St., Jackson, MO

101 Court St., Jackson, MO