Illinois State Senate District 51 issued the following announcement on Feb. 19.
After conducting a detailed study of safety issues and past accidents at the intersection of Illinois 32 and Bruce-Findlay Road, IDOT has agreed to convert the intersection to a 4-way stop.
IDOT officials have released the results of Rural Safety Assessment (RSA) on the intersection of Illinois 32 and Bruce-Findlay Road (Moultrie County Road 800 N). The study was conducted in response to local leaders concerns about the safety of the intersection, including a September 2019 accident when a 56-year-old woman and a 5-year-old child were killed when an SUV hit a school bus. After the completion of the study, IDOT has agreed to build a 4-way stop at the intersection.
“I would like to thank IDOT for listening to the local community on this. This was extremely important to me that someone outside the state of Illinois look at this, and IDOT agreed at my request to reach out to the federal highway authority to get their input on this intersection.,” said State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “We are all pleased that IDOT is going to proceed with a 4-way stop at the intersection.”
“The safety of our children and families is always a top concern for me. The proposal I-DOT unveiled today, including the new 4-way stop at this dangerous intersection, is definitely a big step in the right direction,” said State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville). “We need to continue working together to improve safety on all of our local roads.”
“The residents of Moultrie County have known for several years that Howie’s intersection south of Sullivan was dangerous. Unfortunately it took a double fatal accident to get the state’s attention,” said Moultrie County Board Chairman Dave McCabe. “IDOT conducted an audit of the intersection at the request of the Moultrie County Board and the citizens of the county. The audit concluded that a properly constructed 4-way stop at the intersection could provide the needed safety improvement and the Moultrie County Board concurs with that conclusion.”
“The department appreciates and values the public’s input and cooperation as we together strive toward a goal of zero fatalities on all of our highways in Illinois,” said IDOT Region 4 Engineer Jeff Myers. “As we do with our entire transportation system, IDOT will continue to monitor and collaborate with stakeholders on possible safety improvements well into the future.”
The RSA included short term, intermediate, and long term recommendations. The recommendations include creating the 4-way stop, adding additional markings, and increasing enforcement.
“Of all the recommendations, the locals and IDOT agreed that proceeding to a 4-way stop would provide the greatest safety enhancement and IDOT has agreed to do this,” said Senator Rose.
Original source can be found here.
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