Thanks to a determined push from state and local officials, as well as residents, drivers of cars and trucks traveling on Route 52 (State Street) through downtown Manhattan now must stop and take their turn instead of maneuvering along the crooked road as drivers heading west on North Street had to watch carefully around the bend for traffic from both directions.
Thanks to a determined push from state and local officials, as well as residents, drivers of cars and trucks traveling on Route 52 (State Street) through downtown Manhattan now must stop and take their turn instead of maneuvering along the crooked road as drivers heading west on North Street had to watch carefully around the bend for traffic from both directions.

Manhattan — Three-way Stop Signs Regulating Traffic at State and North Streets

Thanks to a determined push from state and local officials, as well as residents, drivers of cars and trucks traveling on Route 52 (State Street) through downtown Manhattan now must stop and take their turn instead of maneuvering along the crooked road as drivers heading west on North Street had to watch carefully around the bend for traffic from both directions.
Thanks to a determined push from state and local officials, as well as residents, drivers of cars and trucks traveling on Route 52 (State Street) through downtown Manhattan now must stop and take their turn instead of maneuvering along the crooked road as drivers heading west on North Street had to watch carefully around the bend for traffic from both directions.

Intensive efforts to improve safety at State and North streets following the death of a 13-year-old pedestrian last month have resulted in the state approving three-way stop signs there.

In a message to residents Mayor Michael Adrieansen said he and Police Chief Ryan Gulli were informed by Illinois Department of Transportation engineer Jose Rios that the state would be converting the intersection of State Street and East North Street into a three-way stop, “effective immediately.”

“We understand that adjustments like this can be inconvenient at first, but this immediate action is being taken to prioritize the safety of our motorists and children.

“This decision was made possible because of the emails, calls, and the voices of our residents who demanded swift action. Your advocacy made a difference. This is just the beginning, and we are fully committed to continuing improvements at this intersection to ensure it is as safe as possible and to prevent future tragedies.
“In addition to this immediate safety measure, further traffic studies and engineering evaluations are already underway.”
In this message, Adrieansen thanked the residents, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi, state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Momence, and the Village Board for their partnership and dedication to community safety.

“Our community has expressed a real sense of urgency on how to best improve safety and limit truck traffic at this intersection,” DeLuca said to Farmers Weekly Review.

“IDOT is hearing our concerns. Installing stop signs is an approach to dramatically slow down traffic and improve safety, while a comprehensive study continues.

“I’ll remain in close communication with IDOT and local officials to ensure our concerns are being addressed in a professional and timely manner.”

Village officials have been trying to find a way to curb truck traffic through the downtown, especially at the sharp-angled turn at Route 52 (State Street) and North Street. They were having difficulty because Route 52 is a designated truck route.
But the efforts intensified following the accident on October 20 that claimed the life of 13-year-old Chance Hunnicutt, who was struck and killed by a semitrailer while riding his bicycle through that intersection.
At that intersection, Route 52 narrowly curves past historic buildings on both sides of the street, and North Street, which spans a residential area in Manhattan’s downtown to Interstate 57 in neighboring Monee.

Manhattan sits in a precarious location between two major trucking hubs: To the west of Manhattan is the largest inland port in North America, CenterPoint Intermodal, located in both Elwood and Joliet. To the east, Monee is home to an Amazon distribution center and a slew of other warehousing developments that sit along I-57.

Although Route 52 is a truck route, there is a 65-foot length restriction, which extends down North Street. However, the gettingaroundillinois.com does not clearly identify the limits on North Street.

Large trucks, commonly container trucks traveling from the intermodal, often look for shortcuts to skirt around congested roadways and find it driving through the otherwise quiet streets of Manhattan.

“I appreciate IDOT working quickly on a short term solution,” Joyce told Farmers Weekly Review. “However, more must be done to ensure the safety of Manhattan residents along the Route 52 corridor. I continue to work closely with Mayor Adrieansen to advocate for these safety improvements.”

Immediately following the accident, truck enforcement officers issued over 140 tickets, underscoring just how heavy truck traffic can be through the small town — and the Manhattan Police Department’s commitment to taking immediate action to restore roadway safety while deterring overweight, overlength, and speeding trucks from passing through town.

The village hired its first truck enforcement officer last year, and currently has seven certified truck enforcement officers on the police force. Enforcing truck violations requires specialized training and knowledge of complex laws, inspection protocols, and specific safety measures for conducting truck traffic stops.

 

Freelance reporter Stephanie Irvine and Farmers Weekly Review Editor Nick Reiher contributed to this article.

 

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