Safety assessment points to changes needed on U.S. 51 in Illinois

ULLIN, Ill. -- Increased police presence, foliage control and additional signage were three of the main improvements that will be considered to reduce the potential of fatal crashes on U.S. 51 in Union County, Ill., according to Trooper Bridget Rice, spokeswoman for the Illinois State Police District 22 in Ullin.

The suggested improvements are part of the results of a two-day safety assessment on the 11-mile stretch of roadway, which runs north and south of Cobden, Ill., and was completed Sept. 17, said Doug Keiren, programming engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The assessment -- a collaborative effort involving the state police, IDOT, the Federal Highway Administration and the Union County Sheriff's Department -- involved the analysis of crash data and taking pictures of sections of the roadway where there had been serious accidents, Rice said.

The goal of the safety assessment was to determine whether there were any minimum cost improvements or changes that could be implemented to make the road safer, and to take a second look at a design from a safety perspective before embarking on a construction project, Keiren said.

"They look at what can be done to improve the road," Keiren said.

Safety solutions can range in magnitude from increasing road signage to a major repaving or widening project, Keiren said.

Safety crews drive the road during both daylight and nighttime hours and check for ways to improve visibility, such as reducing the amount of foliage.

Because U.S. 51 is an old unmarked state route, IDOT would be responsible for overseeing any improvements that came about as a result of the assessment, he said.

Specific decisions concerning the outcome of the assessment have not been discussed yet, Keiren said.

The assessment was requested by the state police district 22 following a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred in that section of U.S. 51, Keiren said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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