A new school year has begun and Highway M is still closed. As most local residents know, the closure is due to a landslide that occurred during the raining and flooding in the spring. While there is not an exact date, it has been reported that the road will be open by November 1 or sooner.

As most students are aware, the closure of Highway M means that anyone coming from south of the school must either head further south to Pevely or use Imperial Main Street for access to Highway 61-67. Most use the latter option because it is much closer to the school and it is more centralized within the Windsor school district.

Currently, the school’s department of transportation has plans in effect to help reduce travel time as well as road congestion. The main strategy is to designate specific buses to the high school and to the middle school, in order to reduce traffic within the campus.

Principal Jason Naucke said, “What I’ve noticed is that because we’ve got less buses coming into this campus, since we’ve divided them up, is that traffic is clearing up and people are getting in faster.”

Despite best efforts, many are still annoyed by the detour. Most students coming from Barnhart have seen a substantial increase in their travel time to and from school. This is due partially to the alternate, and lengthier route, but mostly to the increased traffic in the Imperial area as most students now take the same route.

“It’s frustrating because it takes so much longer every day and it’s a waste of gas,” Jacob Smith, a student and Barnhart resident, said.

As for the future, there is no planned changes to the district bus routes or road access while Highway M is closed. Also, in the event of an emergency that blocks Imperial Main Street, thus blocking most of the current bus routes, there is no definite plan, although the district will work in cohesion with the local Sheriff’s Office to find a route through.

As for after the reopening of Highway M, the district has no plans on changing the bus routes from the current routes.

“It’s been said that it will be open by November, so we’re hoping for it to be done well before then,” Naucke said.