SIGNALS A PRIORITY: JACKSON'S WEST LANE TO BE IMPROVED

JACKSON -- Installation of traffic signals at West Jackson Boulevard and West Lane is a high priority, says the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department.

But District 10 Highway Engineer Freeman McCullah at Sikeston said it's doubtful the signals will be installed before the opening of school next month.

"We would obviously like to have them in by the start of school, but that just isn't feasible," he said. "So we're going to try to get them in just as soon as we can after school opens."

In addition to traffic signals, McCullah said the department also plans to widen the intersection.

"We're not just looking at signals; we also want to widen the intersection and add left-turn lanes in the east and westbound lanes of West Jackson so through traffic on West Jackson can continue moving," McCullah said. "But, if it appears widening the intersection will delay the project too long, we may go ahead and put the signals in."

McCullah said the project will be fully funded by the department. The city will install utility poles and provide electricity to the signals.

Jack Grimes of the department's maintenance and traffic division at Sikeston said the signals will be almost identical to signals installed this year at East Jackson and Donna Drive.

He said plans call for the signals to be mounted on wire cable strung over the highway between utility poles. There will be traffic-actuated loops buried in the pavement on West Lane to activate the signals. If there is no traffic on West Lane, the signals on West Jackson will remain green, Grimes explained.

McCullah said the state agreed to install signals because of traffic and congestion generated by nearby R.O. Hawkins Junior High School and West Lane Elementary School. Both have large student populations and are on West Lane.

"We have a unique situation out there," McCullah said. "We do not have a constant flow of heavy traffic on East Jackson 24 hours a day, but we do have heavy school-bus and school-related traffic in the morning, around noon, and again in late afternoon. In addition, there is a lot of traffic coming in and out of residential areas to the east and west of the intersection. The signals will allow this traffic to get on West Jackson safely."

Jean Kurre, bus transportation coordinator for the Jackson School District, called the signals "a godsend." Kurre said every school day all of the district's 40 buses must use the intersection going to and from the two schools. "And that doesn't include the vo-tech or kindergarten buses from the outlying attendance centers," she said.

Kurre said during the morning rush hour it's almost impossible for buses to make a left turn off West Jackson onto West Lane because of heavy westbound traffic on West Jackson. That in turn sometimes causes rush-hour traffic behind the stopped buses to back up past Pioneer Orchards.

Kurre said in the afternoons the problem is worse. "We have a large number of school buses that have to make a left turn off West Lane onto the eastbound lane of West Jackson. Sometimes they have to wait several minutes for a break in the rush-hour traffic on West Jackson in order to get out," she said. "I even have one unlucky bus driver that has to cross West Jackson on West Lane. Sometimes he has to wait as long as seven to 10 minutes in the afternoon to get across the highway."

In addition to school buses, Kurre said many parents also deliver and pick up their children at the schools, creating more congestion.

"I'm very enthused about the traffic signals for the safety of the students on the buses and to help keep the buses moving and on schedule," she said.

McCullah said it should take about two weeks to install the signals.