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Committee reviews crash history and short‑term fixes at Sunset Drive and Guthrie Road; no action taken
Summary
Staff presented crash data showing 13 crashes over five years, including one fatality, and proposed tiered short‑term measures (overhead flashing LED signs, pavement markings) and a possible long‑term compact roundabout; committee asked staff to seek funds and return with options.
The Building and Grounds Committee on June 2 reviewed a staff safety study of the intersection at Sunset Drive and Guthrie Road and discussed short‑ and long‑term measures after staff reported 13 crashes at the intersection from 2020 through April 2025, including one fatality in December of last year.
City engineering staff said 11 of the 13 crashes were right‑angle collisions, seven involved injuries and one was flagged as alcohol‑related. Staff said eastbound vehicles failing to yield were the predominant cause and that crashes have trended upward, with four crashes in 2024 and one in the first four months of 2025.
Staff proposed tiered short‑term improvements to improve visibility and driver compliance: overhead mast‑arm assemblies with flashing LED stop signs, additional pavement markings (stop bars, edge lines, refreshed centerline and turn markings), and dynamic speed feedback signs focused on eastbound approaches. The staff report estimated overhead mast‑arm assemblies at roughly $7,000 each (pole and mast arm) and flashing LED signs at about $2,000 each; two assemblies (east and west) with signs would total roughly $14,000. A compact roundabout was identified as a potential long‑term solution with an order‑of‑magnitude cost of about $500,000 to $1 million, typically around $750,000.
Committee members expressed concern that alcohol‑related crashes would not be solved by signage alone and emphasized visibility problems at the intersection; Alderman Witesca and others supported overhead flashing assemblies as the highest‑priority short‑term item. Staff said the city’s special projects budget had about $5,400 remaining and offered to check for reallocated funds from other projects and to consult the county about potential cost‑sharing for improvements because Minooka Park (a county park) contributes traffic to the location.
The committee did not take formal action on the study. Members asked staff to explore funding options, secure temporary on‑site measures (such as stabilizing existing temporary stop assemblies) and return with cost and funding recommendations at the next Building and Grounds meeting.
