If cars wisping by at 35 miles per hour don’t discourage students from jaywalking Duquesne Road, then maybe a seven-foot-tall wall will.

Missouri Southern administrators said they are hoping the recently completed Duquesne wall will force students to use the crosswalk to and from the stadium parking lots. The barrier, which is seven feet high and 1,450 feet long, was constructed due to students illegally crossing the street.

“So many kids were jaywalking,” said Bob Harrington, physical plant director. “We’re really pleased with it.”

Harrington said at first administrators were going to tackle the problem with the traffic signals. The jaywalking was so prominent, however, they decided a physical barrier would have to be placed.

“We knew the new signals would not be enough,” Harrington said.

On top of the concrete barriers are posts that resemble a white-picket fence. The added height to the barrier was placed to keep students from jumping the wall.

“I think our safety is a big deal,” said Lindsay McCown, freshman psychology major. “The money was spent well.”

Harrington said the project, including the fence, cost about $120,000 and $2,500 to paint green and gold color stripes on the bottom of the barrier.

“I like the colors, but I did tell them (administrators) that there would be ongoing maintenance,” he said.

The wall endured its first criticism moments after its completion.

Harrington said while driving south on Duquesne near the last crosswalk, the fence was not providing adequate visual space for pedestrians and drivers to see each other.

“It was a very dangerous situation,” he said. “When I first saw it, it was kind of scary.”

Maintenance crews took down part of the posts near the crosswalk and will take down all the remaining sections of the posts in the area of the crosswalk when weather conditions improve.

“It’s for students’ safety,” he said.

Not all students think the barrier is such a great idea.

“It was a waste of money,” said Kelli Friga, sophomore business management major.

Friga said she believes Southern has too many financial problems as it is, and didn’t need to spend the money on the barrier.

“We have our own money problems,” Friga said. “I think the money could have been spent better.”

Harrington said in time, students and faculty will become more comfortable with the barrier’s existence and its intentions.

“It’s a matter of getting used to it,” he said. “We did it for the safety of the students.”