ALTON – The City of Alton and Ardent Mills have joined forces in the interest of overall public safety through a joint venture.
A new feature has been added to the stop sign where State Street meets Route 100 near the entrance to The Great River Road – bright, blinking red lights. The lights, which circle the metal octagon, are constantly flashing to demand the attention of motorists, Alton Mayor Brant Walker said. The device controlling the lights flashing is solar-powered and was donated by Ardent Mills. The city installed it Wednesday. The cost of the device is estimated to be around $1,500.
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Those lights, Walker hopes, will work to alert motorists to the potential of pedestrian traffic, which he said is expected to be at an all-time high through that corridor in coming months.
“They bought it, we installed it and it's all in the interest of public safety,” Walker said. “They have had an issue with people speeding through there, and this is a safety precaution to have people hopefully slow down.”
Events in recent memory serve as evidence for the need for such a safety precaution in that area. Before the grain mill was sold to Ardent Mills, the chief financial officer (CFO) of Con Agra was struck by a vehicle and badly injured. Less than a decade ago, a bicyclist was also killed near that intersection.
“It's definitely an attention getter,” Walker said. “We want the cars to know there are pedestrians there and to slow down. We're doing everything we can in anticipation of growing crowds in that area over the summer.”
