Safer shoulders on U.S. 61

Scott Stearns of Cape Girardeau tenses every time he has to turn his car onto Route Y from U.S. 61.

Stearns has totaled two cars in rear-end collisions at that intersection in the past two years.

"I keep thinking they'll make it four lanes," Stearns said.

Now, for the first time Stearns can recall in the 16 years he has owned and operated the Flower and Garden Shop on U.S. 61, specific safety improvements will be made to a section of the much-traversed highway.

U.S. 61 between Fruitland in Cape Girardeau County and Bloomsdale in Ste. Genevieve County will get a $1.2 million upgrade as part of the Federal Highway Administration's High Risk Rural Road program, which has allotted $13 million to Missouri. The $1.2 million will be used to extend and resurface 3-foot-wide shoulders and rumble strips. Workers will also raise the two-inch drop-off that borders the edge of the road, said Missouri Department of Transportation engineer Craig Compas.

Analyzed crash data

Because 60 percent of fatal traffic accidents occur on rural roadways, only those areas will benefit from the program.

Roads with unusually high crash rates were targeted to receive the grant money.

"MoDOT analyzed crash data and worked with local regional planning commissions to determine the greatest needs across the state," Compas said in a prepared statement.

The Transportation Advisory Commission, a division of MoDOT, considered U.S. 61 a high priority for years, said Ron Steele, of the Regional Planning & Economic Development Commission in Jefferson City, Mo.

The accident rate on that 53.76-mile section of U.S. 61 exceeds state averages, based on miles traveled per year, by more than 10 percent, according to Bill Robison, district planning manager for Missouri Department of Transportation.

Of 115 counties in Missouri analyzed for frequency of speed-related crashes, Cape Girardeau County ranked 13th. The other two counties affected by the construction, Ste. Genevieve and Perry, were ranked 52nd and 53rd, according to the data compiled by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Steele said the section of U.S. 61 drew concern because it is part of the Mississippi River Trail and is frequented by cyclists, making the narrow shoulders and roadside drop-offs even more dangerous.

According to two patrons at the Hair Care Center on U.S. 61 in Fruitland, cyclists passing through the area often complain the shoulders on the road are among the worst in the country.

The problem is more than just the shoulders. "The lanes just aren't that wide," Steele said, adding that the lack of width of the roadway was a major concern of leaders in all three counties.

"I think it's needed," said Rick Northcut, of Old Appleton, who works at Casey's General Store on the highway.

Northcut said he's seen several fender benders occur right in front of the store.

"Those drop-offs can throw a car off," Northcut said.

The improvements will begin next spring and are expect to be completed by the end of next year, Compas said.

While funding has been approved for the project, the money may not become available for use until closer to fall of 2008, which would push back the start of construction, he said.

"I don't see how it's going to help," said C.J., a 29-year-old motorcyclist who asked that his name be restricted to initials.

He said he frequently rides along U.S. 61 from Fruitland to a friend's house in Perryville and wondered why no weight restriction had ever been placed on the highway to stop the undulations in the paving caused by heavy tractor-trailers.

"The roads aren't able to withstand the weight of these trucks," C.J. said.

Compas agreed that weight was a concern but said it was general practice to only place weight limits on highway overpasses and bridges.

Making the roads safer by addressing the most needed repairs first was the primary concern, Steele said.

"Anytime you make improvements to the road it'll improve safety," he said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245