Police urge caution at crossover on Highway 40
January 29, 2008
Lake Saint Louis
Lake Saint Louis Police Chief Michael Force urges motorists to exercise extreme caution at the intersection of Dauphine and Highway 40, especially when crossing the highway to turn into the eastbound lanes.
“This has always been a somewhat hazardous intersection,” said Chief Force. “It is even more so now that completion of earlier road construction phases has eliminated stop lights to the east. That, combined with increased traffic volume, has made it more critical than ever that motorists pulling out from Dauphine and turning left into the eastbound lanes of Highway 40 pay careful attention and exercise caution.”
Drivers need to obey all traffic rules and drive defensively, according to Chief Force and he specifically stressed the following:
Do not stack up side-by-side or end-to-end in the crossover.
Stay to the right in the crossover lane so that vehicles turning into the lane from the opposite direction have a place to go.
Come to a complete stop at the end of Dauphine and wait until you have a clear opening before crossing or turning into the westbound lanes of Highway 40.
Be patient. Do not attempt to turn onto or cross Highway 40 until there is an ample opening in the cross traffic, which travels at a higher rate of speed.
Chief Force has instructed patrol units to be particularly aware of safety hazards on Highway 40 at Dauphine and to take corrective action as necessary.
“Until the completion of the Highway 40 reconstruction, motorists need to be especially vigilant,” Chief Force stressed. “It is critical that they take their time, drive courteously, and exercise good judgment at this intersection. It sounds like an oversimplification, but the best advice I can give drivers is do not make the crossover or turn until it is safe to do so. We must all work together to ensure that a tragedy doesn’t occur at this location.”
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