Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 1-24-24

8 I NEWS I
January 24, 2024
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
O’Fallon passes North Cool Springs-Tom Ginnever intersection project
By JOHN TREMMEL
A project that was defeated
in December has been rejuvenated
in January.
At its Dec. 14 meeting, the
O’Fallon City Council voted
6-3 to deny the use of federal
funding for a new roundabout
at Tom Ginnever Avenue and
North Cool Springs Road.
That decision was reversed at
the council’s Jan. 11 meeting,
when reconsideration resulted
in six council members voted to
allow the use of federal funding.
The $986,700 for the project comes in the
form of MoDOT Congestion Mitigation and
Air Quality Funding (CMAQ) funds administered
through the East-West Gateway
Council of Governments and the Missouri
Department of Transportation (MoDOT).
Lisa Thompson (Ward 2) brought about
the change.
Prior to the Jan. 11 meeting, Thompson
requested reconsideration of the bill under
rules defined in the city code that allow a
council member who voted with the majority
to request reconsideration at the same or
next succeeding meeting. Council member
Deana Smith (Ward 1) asked Thompson
why she requested reconsideration.
“The full city council was not present
for the vote on Dec. 14, and this being an
Tom Ginnever Avenue at North Cool Springs Road
important project, I wanted everyone to
vote,” Thompson responded.
Council member Jeff Kuehn (Ward 4)
was the member who had been absent/
excused on Dec. 14.
Thompson also said she had re-watched
the council workshop during which Tony
Friedman, Ph.D., the city’s assistant director
of engineering, had presented the benefits
and safety statistics of a roundabout at the
intersection. Then, she did her own additional
research about the safety of a roundabout
versus a stop sign intersection. She said
her research confirmed that the roundabout
safety rating is an “A” compared to “C” and
“E” for stop sign intersections. An “A” being
the safest and “F” being the most dangerous.
Regarding the proximity to two high
schools, Thompson said, “I
have two young drivers in
my family, and they have no
problem with roundabouts.”
Several other council
members responded with
their views on Jan. 11.
Debbie Cook (Ward 5)
said she did not understand
why the absence of one
council member would be
a reason for reconsideration
and a re-vote.
“We have members
absent at various meetings
throughout the year,” Cook
said. “Should we cancel a meeting if we
have one member absent?”
She said safety is not a concern at this
intersection and the stop sign is only a brief
inconvenience.
“Senior residents in nearby housing are all
against this roundabout,” Cook said. “We
asked them.”
Cook said the city has “even busier intersections
on Crooked Stick and other streets
and no roundabouts are used there.” She
said the three-way intersection at Mexico
Road and Bryan Road has school buses,
young drivers and a high traffic volume.
She then asked if the federal project funds
could be used for other intersections such
as Bryan at Mexico. City Engineer Wade
Montgomery said no, the city would need to
(Google Earth photo)
apply for that specific project funding. City
Administrator Michael Snowden then commented
that if the city did not use the federal
funding available and already granted,
applying again later would not be looked
upon favorably.
“I was absent from the prior meeting. I am
an engineer, a numbers guy,” Kuehn said.
“I agree with council member Thompson’s
comments. I hate roundabouts, but my teenaged
son has no problem with them, and
roundabouts are obviously safer.”
Smith said she talked with Friedman
about safety and learned that accidents at
North Cool Springs-Tom Ginnever intersection
have mostly been sideswipe and rearender
accidents with no fatalities.
“We still will have sideswipes and rearenders
with the roundabout,” she said. “This
project is not fiscally responsible compared
to other projects. We are creating a solution
for a problem we do not have.”
Smith said she also was worried about
pedestrians using a roundabout.
However, Montgomery said the current
three-way stop intersection requires pedestrians
to cross five traffic lanes. The roundabout
has safety islands where pedestrians
can wait, all traffic goes in the same direction,
and pedestrians must cross only two
lanes, making the roundabout much safer.
Council member Dr. Jim Ottomeyer
See O’FALLON, page 11
St. Peters approves four road projects for 2024
By JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER
Multiple road improvement projects were
passed at the Jan. 11 St. Peters Board of
Aldermen meeting. From the Spencer Road
reconstruction to the Harvester Road at
Queensbrooke Boulevard signal replacement
and more, residents can expect to see various
projects move ahead this year.
The Spencer Road Reconstruction Project
was passed in order to improve transportation
systems and facilities to promote the
general health, safety and welfare of the
community. M&H Concrete Contractors, Inc.
will be executing the updates, which amount
to $3,025,983 in construction work.
In addition, a Mexico Road Stabilization
project was approved with the provision that
it is to be funded utilizing the St. Charles
County Capital Improvements Sales Tax. It
will construct a 6-foot wall off of the back
of the curb along the south side of Mexico
Road from Kindred Hill Road, extending
approximately 600 feet to the east. A 6-footwide
sidewalk will also be created at the back
of the curb along the south side of Mexico
Road from First Executive Avenue to Jungermann
Road, where no sidewalk currently
exists, and a fence will be placed on top of
the wall at the back of the sidewalk.
The wall will help ease erosion and ensure
the safety of residents. It is slated for completion
by June 30, 2025. The cost of the project
is estimated at $150,000, which includes
design preparation. The city has also agreed
to apply for federal funding in the form
of grants administered by the East-West
Gateway Council of Governments and/or
MoDOT Cost Share funds.
A Willot Road Replacement Project
received approval as well. This will replace a
pair of failing reinforced concrete pipes that
are under Willott Road between Carrington
Drive and Jody Drive and experiencing
erosion and settlement issues on both ends,
along with joint separation under the roadway.
The pipes will be replaced with a pair of
8-by-6-foot concrete box culverts. This will
cost an estimated $938,986. The city noted
that it is currently working with a consultant
Northwest corner of Harvester Road and Queensbrooke
Boulevard intersection looking south.
to complete the design.
The signal located
at Harvester Road and
Queensbrook Boulevard
is also due for replacement.
The current signal
was a temporary installment
that the city had
planned to replace eventually.
Now, the spanwire
system is weathered and
the signal has provided an unreliable for the
St. Peters and GGL traffic network, making
it difficult for the city to properly respond to
outages.
According to the city, the aging spanwire
system will be replaced with a permanent
steel signal system.
“The project will also construct a sidewalk
along the east side of Harvester Road from
Queensbrooke Boulevard to Sugarwood
Drive and provide a signalized pedestrian
crossing at the Queensbrooke Boulevard signalized
intersection. The project will install
a fiber optic cable interconnect for the Harvester
Road and Queensbrooke Boulevard
signal,” according to city documents.
Before voting on the signal replacement
project, alderman Patrick Barclay (Ward 4)
commended residents for reaching out to
help the city decide to replace the light. He
noted that various improvement projects are
always being discussed and proposed, so
hearing from concerned residents aids the
board in choosing what issues need to be
addressed in a more timely manner.
Each of these projects focuses on different
areas and was approved based on separate
timelines. All four passed unanimously.