December 21, 2019

Mallory Herrmann
citydesk@lstribune.net

Dena Mezger, director of public works, briefly updated the city council this week on plans for a traffic signal to be installed at the intersection of Missouri Highway 291 South and SW Scherer Road, which continues as SE Thompson Drive to the east.

She said that many have been asking questions about the status of the light, particularly after several recent crashes. A motorcyclist was killed at the intersection on Dec. 13, and just one day later left a driver in critical condition.

Mezger said that the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODoT) has fully funded the project – but that it isn’t scheduled until 2021.

“It is planned and it’s on the books, but it’s about 18 months out,” she said.

The project had previously been fully funded, with MODoT contributing half of the funds necessary and the remaining funding coming from The Grove, a mixed-use development project. But that project has hit delays and MODoT reallocated their resources.

Now, City Manager Steve Arbo is hoping the city can talk with MODoT about a partnership that would allow an acceleration of the project. He says the city has engaged in such agreements before so that a project can move forward with a contribution from the city that would be reimbursed later.