HANNIBAL – Another Missouri rural roundabout will open at Scott’s Corner on U.S. Route 54 in Audrain County early Friday morning, August 16. “Although somewhat unique to Missouri, this type of intersection has proven to be safer than the type of intersection that previously was there, showing an 82% reduction in severe crashes,” explained Missouri Department of Transportation Area Engineer Brian Untiedt. He said there are several roundabouts in Missouri, so drivers may be familiar already with how they work. “Missouri has 118 roundabouts and about half of them are considered to be in a rural area,” Untiedt said. A rural roundabout is a type of intersection that slows drivers down on a higher-speed highway, which, in turn, contributes to the reduction in crashes.
While several improvements have been made over the last several years to the intersection at Scott’s Corner, located near Community R-VI School, severe crashes continued to be a factor. “We worked with a citizen’s advisory group to figure out the best solution to the problem, and we all agreed utilizing a roundabout at this location would contribute to a safer intersection,” Untiedt explained. Several public meetings were held over the last few years, the most recent being earlier this spring to give area residents a timeline for the project.
“The project has gone smoothly for the most part. Despite a wet spring and early summer, our contractor has worked diligently to make progress on the project.” Untiedt said. “We really appreciate the school administration and bus drivers working with us their first couple of days of school to accommodate this phase,” he added.
Information about the project can be found at https://www.modot.org/roundabouts-us-route-54.
School starts this week; parents, please set an example for your children. Please remember everyone in the vehicle needs to be wearing a seat belt, and drivers need to pay attention to the task at hand which is driving, not talking or texting on the phone.