MODOT to install J-turns at Highway 63 and Hinton
It’s a dangerous Boone County intersection. Highway 63 and Hinton road is the site of dozens of crashes.
A driver making a left from either side of Highway 63 is forced to cross four lanes of traffic.
According to MODOT, there have been 53 crashes at the intersection in the last 10 years. Two of those have been fatal.
“By installing the J-turns and eliminating the crossover, you minimize those right angle, often times severe accidents that take place,” said Mike Schupe, a MODOT engineer.
Drivers at a J-turn intersection turn right into the same direction of traffic, merge into the left lane and then turn in the direction they want to travel.
According to an MU study, J-turns eliminate deadly crashes by 100 percent.
“Do they eliminate accidents? No,” Schupe said. “Do they make them less severe? Absolutely.”
Drivers who use the intersection told ABC 17 News they think something needs to be done to fix the safety issue, but some think J-turns are not the answer. Some said an interchange would be better.
But MODOT said it all comes down to funding and they don’t have the money to maintain an interchange.
Schupe said J-turns are the most cost-effective way to fix the problem.
“It is an inconvenience for drivers to have to drive past their destinations and come back, but it is still a great value for every dollar we spend and the number of lives we can save,” he said.
The project will cost $1.4 million and will start next Tuesday. MODOT said it will take three months to complete and there will be various lane closures throughout.
