The T-intersection at Kerth Road and Kerth Circle Crossing in unincorporated South St. Louis County will soon change from a multi-way stop to a side street-only stop following the passage of legislation at the St. Louis County Council’s July 21 meeting.
The bill, introduced by Sixth District Councilman Mike Archer (R-Oakville), came to be following a request from a resident to review the intersection for appropriate traffic control. The St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works then assessed the intersection, finding that drivers on Kerth Circle Crossing have enough sight distance to enter Kerth Road safely, essentially concluding the stop signs on Kerth Road unnecessary. Erected in the past solely for subdivision construction traffic, the current all-way stop is unwarranted for regular traffic conditions and may cause cut-through traffic, according to Stephanie Leon Streeter, the director of the Department of Transportation and Public Works.
“Field observations also showed frequent non-compliance of the stop on Kerth Road, with many drivers not fully stopping. Unnecessary stop signs can create safety risks and give drivers and pedestrians, especially children, a false sense of security,” a memo from Streeter to St. Louis County Executive Sam Page stated.
The stop sign on Kerth Circle Crossing, however, will remain, ensuring those pulling out of the Kerth Crossing subdivision will stop before turning onto Kerth Road.
Though the bill was approved by the council on July 21, it did not become an ordinance until Page signed it on July 23. Now that it is signed, a 15-day waiting period will occur, after which personnel from the St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works will remove the signs on Kerth Road at Kerth Circle Crossing. A sign reading “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” will also be installed on the existing Kerth Circle Crossing stop sign to alert drivers of the change.
