The Missouri Department of Transportation project to improve the intersection at St. Johns Church Road, Linderhof Drive and Jeffco Boulevard recently took another step forward.
Arnold City Council members voted 7-0 on Nov. 2 to allow MoDOT to alter sections of the two city-owned roads – St. Johns Church Road and Linderhof Drive. The state owns Jeffco.
MoDOT plans to add turn lanes and traffic signals at the intersection.
“It is wonderful to improve the safety of this intersection,” Arnold Public Works Director Judy Wagner said. “Any driver who uses this intersection understands the sight distance shortfall that is there when you are trying to enter onto Jeffco from the side streets. The signals will make it much safer for people turning onto Jeffco.”
MoDOT held an open house in January at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Arnold to discuss the proposed improvements to that intersection, as well as a project to improve the intersection at Hwy. 61-67 and Miller Road East just south of the Arnold city limits.
Together, the two intersection improvement projects will cost an estimated $1.5 million, according to MoDOT’s website.
Work on both road projects is expected to start in June 2024 and be completed by summer 2025, the website says.
MoDOT area engineer Stephen O’Connor said a left-turn lane already exists on Jeffco at the intersection with St. Johns Church Road, and MoDOT will add a left turn lane on St. Johns Church Road for vehicles turning north onto Jeffco Boulevard.
He also said a left-turn lane will be added to Linderhof Drive, which is across Jeffco from St. Johns Church Road, for vehicles to turn south onto Jeffco Boulevard.
Crosswalks will be added across the streets, and MoDOT will be responsible for maintaining the traffic signals and the crosswalk, according to the agreement the Arnold City Council approved with MoDOT. Ward 3 Councilman Mark Hood was absent from the meeting.
“It is a very needed project,” City Administrator Bryan Richison said. “For people on the side streets of St. Johns and Linderhof, it is difficult to make left turns, and it can become a dangerous situation. It will be a huge improvement in that area.”
Because the intersection at Hwy. 61-67 and Miller Road is outside of city limits, the city did not need to enter into an agreement with MoDOT for that project.
O’Connor said MoDOT will align Miller Road East with the entrance to the Dollar General store, 4212 Jeffco Blvd., and three new left-turn lanes – one on the highway, another on Miller Road East and the third on the Dollar General entrance – will be constructed.
In addition, a right-turn lane will be built on Hwy. 61-67 for vehicles to turn onto Miller Road East, O’Connor said.
“It will be phenomenal,” Wagner said of the improvements. “Right now, you come up on such a skew (on Miller Road), it is hard to see the traffic on Jeffco. When they realign it a little bit, that will bring you up to more of a 90-degree turn. Also, the addition of turn lanes with the signal will be a great enhancement to the area.”
Wagner said the additional traffic signals may slow traffic on the road, but she believes the safety improvements are worth potential delays.
“It may increase your travel time a little through the city, but given the safety improvements, it will be well worth that delay for the city,” she said.