A closed circuit camera was recently installed at U.S. 60 and Highway 181 and a roadside message board will follow, part of a grant-funded system to keep motorists better informed.
Tom Stehn, Missouri Department of Transportation district engineer, said the agency received an $800,000 federal Rural Safety Program grant, which is being used for 12 closed circuit cameras and six message boards. In this district, Cabool is one of the locations and another is at Willow Springs along U.S. 60/63. The others in the state, Stehn said, include U.S. 60/34 and U.S. 60/67 in Poplar Bluff, I-55 near Hayti and I-57 near Charleston. Locations were determined by traffic volume and incident rates, Stehn said.
“The goal is to inform motorists about road closings, accidents and hazardous road conditions,” said Stehn.
The camera, located on the south side of the Highway 181 bridge over U.S. 60, can be monitored by MoDOT as to road conditions and traffic flow. “The goal is to help us evaluate what is going on,” Stehn explained. Should problems arise, cautions can be posted on the message board that will be located to the east of that location on U.S. 60. The message board can also be used to alert drivers to detours, planned road work and even Amber Alerts when a child is missing.