FLORISSANT, Mo. – An alarming number of crashes on New Halls Ferry Road has MoDOT stepping in with a new plan aimed at saving lives. 

The intersection of New Halls Ferry Road and Shackelford has seen over 1,800 crashes in the past four years.

The number of crashes reported is five times higher than the statewide average, including 20 that resulted in fatalities. 

To combat concerns, MoDOT hosted an open house, presenting a $52 million proposal plan to make this dangerous corridor safer.

“The improvements include things to make the roadway and the signals more visible, like yellow rectangles,” said Stacey Smith, Improvements Project director at MoDOT. “We call them retro-effective back plates on the signal heads to make different intersections more visible.”

MoDOT is also proposing changes to intersections, making left and right turns easier and safer. 

They plan to install center and shoulder islands to give drivers the sense of a narrower road, which studies show can reduce speeding. 

MoDOT says this is all about changing driver behavior, not lane structure.

“When I talked them through the speed study we did. At least one person was going 89 mph,” Smith said. “Everybody agrees so far that I’ve talked to absolutely says they agree with there being a lot of speeding.”

Speeding, however, remains a significant concern for residents.

“Parker Road is a mess because of all of the different turns and everything,” Gloria Broderick, an attendee, said. “But when you get to Vaile, I love that place that they built up. You have to go the right way, and you can’t turn around.”

Some aren’t convinced these changes will slow drivers down.

“I think the base cause for most of these crashes is speeding,” said Florissant resident Sherman Adams. “Just from traffic, as an eyewitness, is speeding. These are not going to reduce speed. I don’t know what type of crashes they’ve had, but my biggest concern when I’m driving down is the rate of speed that people travel on a regular basis.” 

To help residents visualize the proposed improvements, MoDOT plans to mark future shoulder islands with paint and orange channelizers next week.

MoDOT is giving residents two weeks to provide feedback on the project.

For more information, visit the Route AC Safety Improvements webpage here. 

For up-to-date traffic and travel info, motorists can check MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map here.