The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will close two crossovers along Hwy. 100 on Thursday, Sept. 11, impacting motorists’ ability to make left turns onto the highway in Wildwood.
At about 9 a.m., after morning rush hour on Thursday, crews will close the crossovers at Hwy. 100 and Hwy. T (St. Albans Road). To make a left turn from Hwy. T onto Hwy. 100, MoDOT officials said drivers will need to use the new J-turn. Those turning from Hwy. 100 onto Hwy. T should drive past the crossover, take the U-turn, cross over to the right lane and then turn right onto the roadway.
At the same time, crews will also close the crossover to turn left from Wild Horse Creek Road onto Hwy. 100. MoDOT officials said drivers will need to use the new J-turn to turn left onto the highway. Drivers will be able to continue to turn left from Hwy. 100 onto Wild Horse Creek.
MoDOT spokesperson Andrew Gates said the crossover closures are part of a resurfacing project along the highway, adding that the new J-turns will open at the same time the crossovers close.
“The J-turn is an alternative to traditional roadway intersections on a four-lane highway. Instead of motorists crossing fast-moving lanes of traffic to get to the opposing lanes, drivers at a J-turn intersection turn right in the same direction of traffic, merge into the left lane, and then make a U-turn in the direction they intend to travel,” he said. “Although drivers will have to travel slightly farther to get where they want to go, using J-turns can take the same or less time than trying to wait for a safe and appropriate gap to cross traffic. The point of these turns it to greatly reduce – or even eliminate – a significant number of severe crashes common when drivers must cross over busy highways to reach another road.”
Work will continue along this corridor through late fall with weather permitting.