The popular Collinsville shortcut of accessing Keebler Avenue from 159 by way of Wickliffe Avenue is a thing of the past.
Photo by Roger Starkey
The Illinois Department of Transportation permanently closed the Keebler and Wickliffe intersection Thursday morning. A clu-de-sac will be built at the end of Keebler, where the intersection is currently.
A portion of Wickliffe Avenue, near the intersection is temporarily closed, said Andy Dreier of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Drivers wishing to access Keebler Avenue from 159 will be able to do using Park Street, which was resurfaced and widened. A temporary traffic signal was placed at the intersection of 159 and Park and Spring streets Wednesday, but the signalization of the intersection is permanent.
The flow of traffic between the lights on Vandalia Street, between the Wickliffe and the Park and Spring streets signals, should improve in the coming weeks, Drier said.
“We have tried to time it so they (drivers) will get a green light at one intersection if they get it at the other, or will get one pretty quickly, but we’ll continue to work on it and get better,” Drier said.
See related stories: http://metroindependent.com/2013/10/03/the-159-project-more-than-just-a-wider-street/1490/ and http://metroindependent.com/2014/07/14/collinsville-159-project-currently-six-months-ahead-of-schedule/7484/
