Village of Godfrey Board of Trustees: Public Safety, Finance, Board Meetings
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GODFREY – A new guardrail is set to be installed on Pierce Lane in Godfrey, while a proposal for a roundabout at the intersection of Pierce and North Hanser Lanes has been put on hold.
Members of the village’s Finance Committee on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, considered a proposal to look into placing a roundabout at the intersection, and to fund the construction of a guardrail in the area.
“The Village has received complaints about motorists speeding on southbound Pierce Lane near North Hanser Lane,” according to a memo from Village Engineer Rich Beran.
“The complaints allege that southbound vehicles heading toward West Delmar Avenue round the curve too quickly and overcorrect, which leads to striking mailboxes along the west side of the roadway,” he adds. “There is a sidewalk along the west side of Pierce Lane that pedestrians use frequently, so this poses a serious safety concern.”
A guardrail along the west side of Pierce Lane was one of four possible solutions Beran listed to slow down drivers in the area. Other alternatives included a roundabout intersection at North Hanser Lane, the installation of a three-way-stop intersection, and strategically placed speed bumps. However, Beran noted that stop signs are typically ineffective at reducing speeding, and speed bumps may interfere with snow plows and emergency vehicle response times.
As a result, Beran recommended pursuing the construction of a guardrail while an engineering consultant studies the intersection for the design of a potential roundabout. However, he added that putting a roundabout in the area comes with significant challenges, including a creek running underneath the area and right-of-way requirements which would increase construction costs.
“This alternative has challenges to overcome, however, it would likely contribute the most significant safety benefits by reducing speeds while keeping traffic moving,” Beran said of the roundabout solution.
Committee members ultimately approved a maximum of $14,435 to be spent with Illini Reclamation of South Roxana to build a guardrail on Pierce Lane.
While the committee was originally set to consider a Request for Quotes (RFQ) to fund a design study for the roundabout proposal, Trustee Jeff Weber moved to drop the RFQ from the proposal “at this time,” meaning the roundabout project will not proceed for now.
This is a different roundabout proposal from the IDOT plan for a double roundabout at Pierce Lane and West Delmar, which has faced significant delays since it was first announced in 2022. As of March 2025, IDOT states “delays in land acquisition and utility relocation” have pushed construction starting on Cook Avenue back to 2026.
A full recording of the April 2, 2025 Godfrey Finance Committee meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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