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Commission endorses State Route 100 safety improvements including j-turns and left-turn lanes
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Commission endorsed a MoDOT and City of Wildwood project to add j-turns and left-turn lanes along State Route 100 to improve safety; the project uses federal/state funds and includes resurfacing and shoulder work.
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously supported a recommendation report for a set of safety and capacity improvements on State Route 100 that include two j-turn conversions at key intersections and a series of new left-turn lanes from State Highway T to the Franklin County line.
Mr. Vinic and Rick Brown, City Engineer, briefed the commission that the projects are a joint City of Wildwood and Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) effort and have federal funding components. Mr. Vinic said earlier MoDOT access purchases in the 1980s shaped the corridor and that the corridor now carries significantly more traffic than when first designed; the improvements are intended primarily to increase safety.
Mr. Ridley and Mr. Lee (city administration) said preliminary work has already begun and that j-turns have been shown in some studies to reduce fatal crashes in similar settings. "It showed with the addition of j turns, you can decrease fatal crashes by about 54 percent," the city administrator said, referencing national/state studies and showing the anticipated safety benefit.
Commissioners asked about cyclist access and shoulders. Rick Brown said the design includes a path wide enough for cyclists at Pond Road and Route T, and that shoulders will be overlayed or reconstructed where widening occurs; left-turn lane areas will remove and replace shoulders as required. Commissioners also asked whether the work would be the most extensive resurfacing since the 1980s; staff said it is the largest capital project on this stretch since original construction and that resurfacing dates show prior work in 2005.
Mayor Mary Gaetano moved the commission recommendation in support of the improvements; Commissioner Humphrey seconded. The commission voted unanimously in favor.
The project is a MoDOT/City of Wildwood cost-share effort; preliminary work is underway and final construction sequencing, shoulder reconstruction details and the exact timetable are being coordinated with MoDOT and federal funders. The commission noted public feedback from residents and said the design incorporated comments gathered at an open house. Staff said the work is anticipated to occur in 2025 and includes resurfacing and turn-lane construction as well as safety features.
