Macon Reporter

The village of Mount Zion board of trustees considered changing the intersection at West Main Street and Broadway to a four-way stop at its recent Monday night meeting.

Drivers crossing or turning onto West Main from Broadway have difficulty seeing oncoming traffic due to the Police Department building.

The intersection has seen several accidents, including a child on a bicycle who was struck by a car. Currently, only Broadway has stop signs.

“You have to pull out so far to see that your nose is basically out on the road,” Village Administrator Julie Miller told the Herald & Review.

The board considered moving the stop line out to allow drivers a better view of oncoming traffic, moving both the stop sign and sidewalks farther out into the intersection or installing stop signs on West Main. New stop signs will be the simplest and most cost-effective solution to the visibility issue. 

While Mayor Mark Wells was concerned about traffic patterns during school hours, Miller felt that the stop signs would improve the flow of traffic and encourage drivers to use Braves Parkway as an alternate access point.

Before stop signs can be installed, the village must wait for approval from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

The project is part of the Broadway reconstruction project, which extends from West Main to Illinois 121. Sidewalks will also be improved along the route to comply with the American with Disabilities Act.