Wright City Mayor Michelle Heiliger released a number of changes and recommendations on Roelker Road the city will be pursuing to improve the safety of the road, especially for students traveling to and from the new Wright City High School. 

The road is in dire need of repairs and there had been disagreements between the city and the Wright City R-II School District about who had agreed to pay for what. 

Heiliger said those disagreements are in the past. 

“At this point the city is owning the project,” said Heiliger. 

Wright City R-II added they were informed on Feb. 10 that the city will be moving forward with their plan “as quickly as possible and without the district’s involvement.” However, they are still prepared to complete the “agreed-upon work.”

District officials also said they had proposed a joint meeting between the school board and board of aldermen.

“We are confident that by working together, we can find a resolution and build a strong partnership. Our community is stronger when we collaborate, and we’re ready to have those conversations to move forward in a way that best serves our students and families,” R-II Superintendent Amy Salvo said in a statement to The Record.

That project is going to be funded by $6.5 million in bonds that were approved by voters in April 2024 for road improvements. Heiliger said on Facebook, the city has been in contact with two contractors and is preparing bid packets which it plans to release in the next couple weeks. 

In her Facebook post, she also outlined several measures the city is taking to improve safety on the road, which has been a concern recently with the increased traffic from the opening of the high school. 

She said the city worked with the Wright City Police Department to take drone footage and decide what the best course of action would be. 

The city plans to make the following changes in the coming weeks, according to the Facebook post. 

• Trees at the intersection of Roelker Road and Second Street will be removed to improve visibility. 
• The stop sign on Roelker Road at Second Street will be removed and replaced with a “cross traffic does not stop” sign to improve traffic flow. 
• The city will install signs at the railroad warning drivers not to stop on the tracks and will paint a line for drivers to stop at the intersection with the tracks. 
• They will also place a speed tracking trailer on Roelker Road to remind drivers the road now carries a 20 mph school zone speed limit between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

She clarified that the school zone speed limit is standard and is in no way intended to increase the number of speeding tickets the police department issues. 

“For safety purposes, and efficient traffic flow, this is what needs to happen,” said Heiliger. 

In the Facebook post, she also said Wright City Public Works will attend to the damaged areas of the road in front of the high school. 

There were also several utility pedestals that were referenced by both the city and the school board as a potential barrier to road expansion. She said they are being addressed. 

According to the Facebook post, one of the utility pedestals belongs to the Cuivre River Electric Cooperative and will have to be moved. Another belongs to the Public Water Supply District No. 2 and can remain along with an Ameren gas line that needs to be resolved. 

Heiliger said the school board had reached out to schedule a meeting on the road but attempts to have a joint meeting were unsuccessful. She did issue several recommendations from the police department that could be used to improve traffic for the school. 

R-II stated traffic suggestions were given by their school resource office on Feb. 11, and they are currently reviewing the suggestions. 

They noted there is a “natural period of observation and evaluation before processes become fully efficient and run smoothly.” 

The city’s recommendations focused on creating a one-way loop in the school’s parking lot making the southern entrance on Roelker Road entry-only and the middle entrance exit-only.