Will a New Tunnel Help Protect Highland Students from Pedestrian Accidents?

Would a new Highland tunnel prevent pedestrian accidents? That is what officials in Highland, Illinois are banking on. The proposed tunnel would act as an underpass underneath Troxler Avenue. The underpass would serve as a safe pathway between Highland Middle School and Highland High School, which sit on opposite sides of Troxler.

How Can a New Highland Tunnel Prevent Pedestrian Accidents?

According to the Belleville News-Democrat, around 9,000 vehicles travel along Troxler Avenue on a daily basis. That number is expected to grow due to an influx of traffic following the completion of construction on Veterans Honor Parkway. Combine that with the fact that, on an average school day, over 100 students cross Troxler. All of a sudden, the risk of students being injured as the result of pedestrian accidents becomes more of an issue.

Currently, pedestrians crossing Troxler use a crosswalk. Pedestrians can press a button, and the traffic light at the crosswalk will signal for vehicles on Troxler to stop while those on foot cross the street. The proposed tunnel would enable foot traffic and vehicles to avoid each other altogether. As such, the risk of car accidents involving pedestrians at this section of Troxler Avenue could potentially drop to almost none.

In the proposal, the underpass is projected to be 90 feet long, 12 feet wide and 8 feet high. Overall, the entire crossing, including the underpass, would be 520 feet long. It would extend from Highland High School’s entrance to just north of Highland Middle School’s parking lot. Arguments against this project include its cost, and how it would be funded. As you can imagine, a structure of this size would not be cheap. The estimated cost of installing the tunnel is close to $1 million. In addition, opponents of the underpass point to issues, such as:

• Security concerns, including vandalism, bullying, robbery and assault
• Flooding

While flooding has been an issue along Troxler in the past, the city has since installed French drains, which solved the problem. Still, the engineers who are designing the proposed tunnel are taking flooding concerns very seriously. They are considering multiple options to prevent the underpass from flooding, including installing a water pump and taking advantage of storm sewers in the area. In addition, security concerns have been taken into account. The interior of the proposed underpass would be very visible from outside the tunnel, extremely well-lit and contain several security cameras.

Ultimately, the most important thing is making the Troxler Avenue crossing between Highland High School and Highland Middle School safer for students, foot traffic and vehicle occupants.

RELATED READING: St. Louis County Pedestrian Accident Could Lead to Safety Upgrades

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