2023/07/03 - Mayor's Column: Roadway Studies, Fireworks Celebration, and Upcoming Town Hall
“AN OPEN DOOR TO O’FALLON”
A WEEKLY NOTE FROM MAYOR HERB ROACH
We are in the middle of the road construction season so please be careful when driving in a construction zone. We don’t want to see anyone getting hurt.
You will find several streets under reconstruction here in the city as we do work on waterlines, sewers, stormwater, and the streets. You also may be aware that the State is doing work on I-64.
In addition to the current construction, there are studies underway on Highway 50, Pierce Blvd., and White Pine Dr.
The study on the Highway 50 corridor is underway. It will include traffic counts and multiple methods of public engagement including input from citizens and businesses. This study will guide future development along Highway 50 by assessing ways to manage traffic, strengthen pedestrian safety, and make it more accessible for various modes of transportation.
We estimate this will not be completed until mid-2024.
Another study is also underway on Pierce Blvd. and White Pine Ave. This study has already included work by a traffic control engineering firm, two public meetings, and two citizen surveys.
Currently there are speed and further traffic counts being done to establish a baseline that will then be used to see what traffic calming methods will be most effective for these streets.
One traffic controlling item has already been implemented is the restriction of any vehicles that weigh over 8 tons and are not in that area to service the residents, such as trash haulers, moving vans, etc.
The next phase will be to utilize some temporary calming tools such as bump-outs, mini-roundabouts, and speedhumps to assess which will be most impactful.
We do not only want to address our current traffic needs, but want to look forward so that our future needs will be met as well.
And just as a reminder on Wednesday, July 19th, at 6:30 PM we will have a Town Hall to go over the current construction and an update on the Highway 50 study.
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open.