[SeMissourian.com]
Road construction projects

Traffic lights, sinkhole help among capital improvement plan priorities (01/15/08)
The next traffic light to be installed in the city of Cape Gir-ardeau is destined for Silver Springs Road at Bloomfield Road. After that, expect to see one at Independence Street and East Rodney Drive. Those were two of the easier priorities to set during a study session for the city of Cape Girardeau's capital improvement plan...
Cruising along East Main interchange (01/15/08)
Monday afternoon was the perfect day for an aimless drive. But Jackson city administrator Jim Roach and Mayor Barbara Lohr were hardly cruising as they tooled along East Main Street and onto the ramp to Interstate 55. "We're saying the mayor was the first person to drive the new interchange, but we've been driving it for six months," joked Danny Dumey, whose company, Dumey Contracting Inc., built the $8 million interchange and finished it six months ahead of schedule...
Cape County road plan approved, with conditions (01/15/08)
With a dozen easements still in question, Cape Girardeau County commissioners approved a paving plan Monday. The work, which will cost an estimated $3,147,500, will cover 21 miles of county roads. More than half, 12 miles, will get layers of rock and asphalt called chip and seal. The remaining eight miles will be paved with traditional asphalt...
East Main Street, interchange dedicated in pair of ceremonies (12/18/07)
He's been out of public office since May, but former Jackson mayor Paul Sander's name was among the most-mentioned at two transportation dedications Monday. Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr said she kept her remarks and thanks brief to give Sander, her predecessor, the stage at the East Main Street ceremony...
Jackson will open East Main; rain delays interchange work (12/13/07)
The recent wet weather will push back the opening of the new East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue interchange, but the ribbon cutting ceremony will continue as planned Monday, Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr said. The project contractor, Dumey Contracting Inc., is still ahead of schedule in working on the project, MoDOT personnel have said...
Southbound Interstate 55 overpass complete (10/26/07)
If the weather cooperates, the southbound overpass bridge of the new East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue interchange on Interstate 55 will open soon. Dumey Contracting has completed its construction work on that portion of the road. Dry weather will allow for roadway striping as early as today, with traffic being allowed to pass by late afternoon...
One job left to do on Cape bridge (10/07/07)
On a chilly day in December 2003, the ribbon was cut and the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge opened to traffic. Detail work remained, including adjusting the aesthetic lighting and running power cables to the aviation lights on top of the bridge. Those items took a few months...
MoDOT road projects scheduled for Southeast Missouri next week (09/13/07)
The following MoDOT road projects are scheduled for Southeast Missouri. Poor weather may cause dates to change. The St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad, at the intersection of highways 34/72, 25 and U.S. 61 in Jackson, is slated for routine maintenance Saturday. The westbound left turn lane onto Hope Street will be among the work locations...
MoDOT road projects scheduled for Southeast Missouri next week (09/13/07)
The following MoDOT road projects are scheduled for Southeast Missouri. Poor weather may cause dates to change. The St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad, at the intersection of highways 34/72, 25 and U.S. 61 in Jackson, is slated for routine maintenance Saturday. The westbound left turn lane onto Hope Street will be among the work locations...
Missouri project would speed up repairs for 800 poor bridges (08/30/07)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers are poised to approve a massive bridge repair project that could serve as a national roadmap for renovating aging infrastructure. Missouri plans to quadruple the pace of its bridge repairs by awarding a single, 30-year contract to fix and maintain 802 of its worst bridges...
City begins paving project on Lexington Avenue (08/16/07)
The bump drivers feel on Lexington Avenue between Kings-highway and Carolina Lane is getting fixed. Old asphalt will be removed, starting Friday at 8:30 a.m. and will be done before the afternoon commute begins, according to Geoff Dial, special projects coordinator for Cape Girardeau's public works department...
Residents raise concerns about bridge work (08/09/07)
NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- When Missouri Department of Transportation begins work on the planned replacement of the Route A bridge in New Hamburg, the construction will cut Larry Gosche's farm in half. Because MoDOT has decided not to build a temporary bypass to accommodate the 700 to 800 cars that cross the bridge every day, Gosche said he expects he'll have to go 12 to 15 miles out of his way to tend to his crops...
Work on several local MoDOT projects to start this week (08/04/07)
Southeast Missourian MoDOT will begin work on a number of road projects in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties starting Monday. n Crews will repair the shoulders on Highway 72 in Cape Gir-ardeau County from Highway 72/34 to Route B near Millersville, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday...
MoDOT holds public meeting on bridge project (07/31/07)
NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- The work is still two years away, but the Missouri Department of Transportation wants to make sure it hears from people living in the New Hamburg area about a planned bridge replacement that will have a significant impact on local traffic...
Road to link Kingshighway, LaSalle Avenue (07/27/07)
The city of Cape Girardeau is rolling toward a major road project aimed at easing traffic congestion. The Lewis and Clark Parkway -- a virtual road formerly known as Technology Drive -- will materialize in three phases, with the goal of linking Kingshighway to another yet-to-be-built road, LaSalle Avenue. Lewis and Clark Parkway will cost an estimated $2.4 million...
MoDOT to plan for interchange (07/24/07)
The Missouri Department of Transportation will plan for a possible new interchange on Interstate 55 south of Scott City, the agency's district engineer said Monday. MoDOT district engineer Mark Shelton said it's "the first step" toward getting a new interchange for the Scott City area...
Route AB plan ready, officials say (07/19/07)
After years of discussion and planning, the extension of Nash Road through undeveloped land to Blomeyer appears ready to happen, say Missouri Department of Transportation and Cape Girardeau County officials. The project has been talked about for almost 10 years, since around the time Route AB was built eastward to the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority in 1999. ...
State to test new passing design for roads (07/18/07)
CAMDENTON, Mo. -- Hurry up and slow down. Everyone who's ever driven a busy two-lane road knows this frustration:~ The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials calls it a "2+1" road. You wait miles for a break in oncoming traffic to pass a slower vehicle, only to get slowed down again by another caravan of cars and trucks...
Route CC to be reduced to one lane (06/22/07)
Southeast Missouri A section of Route CC in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced to one lane while crews seal the pavement. The section is from Route C to the end of state maintenance. The work will take place from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday. A bridge on old Route 61 leading to the Diversion Channel boat ramp in southern Cape Girardeau County is closed for deck repairs. ...
Interchange work could close I-55 lanes (06/22/07)
Southeast Missourian Traffic between mile markers 101 and 103 on Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County could be periodically reduced to one lane over the next few weeks as construction on the East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue interchange ramps continues. The ramps are being constructed on the interstate's northbound side and will serve as roads for diverted traffic to be routed over until November, as construction progresses...
County commission approves final list of roads to be paved (06/22/07)
By the end of next year, 35 miles of Cape Girardeau County gravel roads will have a new hard surface, the Cape Girardeau County Commission decided Thursday. The list of roads, which has been slightly revised since the County Road and Bridge Advisory Board submitted its initial proposal in May, includes 6.15 miles for asphalt paving and 10 miles for chip-and-seal paving this year. ...
MoDOT hopes to expedite Ramsey Creek bridge (06/19/07)
The Missouri Department of Transportation will push for the lowest level of environmental scrutiny in planning the Ramsey Creek bridge project. Eric Krapf briefed the Scott City Council on the project at Monday night's regular council meeting. The Federal Highway Administration required the study before the $5 million in federal funds earmarked for the project could be spent. Krapf said the statement findings will be made public soon...
MoDOT completes I-55 study (06/18/07)
Missouri Department of Transportation's Southeast Missouri office has now completed its study of the Interstate 55 corridor and a draft of what those findings mean, bringing the Ramsey Creek Bridge in Scott City a step closer to reality. The study, which looked at I-55 between Fruitland and just south of Scott City, was wrapped up a few weeks ago, and a draft of the findings was sent to MoDOT's central office in Jefferson City, said Eric Krapf, a Southeast District project manager involved in the Ramsey Creek project.. ...
I-55 project on schedule, project manager says (06/16/07)
Contractors working on the East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue interchange project are on or ahead of schedule, according to a Missouri Department of Transportation project manager. Project manager Andrew Meyer said the June 18 date for starting to divert traffic that MoDOT has been publicizing was not actually a deadline for diverting traffic, but the earliest anticipated date the diversion would begin. ...
Diversion of I-55 delayed (06/15/07)
Traffic diversion onto the ramps on the east side of Interstate 55 in the East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue project area will start later than MoDOT had originally planned. Diversion of traffic from the interstate onto the ramps that will service northbound I-55 was set to begin as early as Monday, but construction of the ramps has gone slightly slower than originally planned. Traffic diversion is now set to begin June 27, said MoDOT project manager Andrew Meyer...
City to improve intersection's storm drainage (06/04/07)
One of Cape Girardeau's numerous flood-prone intersections will be rebuilt in the coming weeks as the city starts one of two street drainage improvement projects slated for work this year. Construction easements have been acquired and bids will be considered tonight for drainage improvement work at the intersection of Themis Street and Silver Springs Road, city engineer Jay Stencel said...
McKinley Bridge between Mo., Ill. to reopen in fall (06/04/07)
ST. LOUIS -- The McKinley bridge between St. Louis and southern Illinois is scheduled to reopen this fall, and communities are hoping increased traffic will bring new economic opportunities. The rebuilt span is slated to open Sept. 25, after it closed in 2001. The bridge will have two lanes for vehicles and additional outside lanes to carry bicycles and pedestrians. It will not have tolls, as it had in the past...
New LaSalle Ave. requires easements (05/27/07)
City engineers have a definite route they'd like LaSalle Avenue to take -- a nearly straight shot from the site of the new East Main Street Interstate 55 interchange to Route W. The next step in the process is to acquire the land needed for construction...
County accepts road board proposal (05/25/07)
Rural Cape Girardeau County residents will likely see the most aggressive road building effort in years following approval Thursday of a proposal from the Road and Bridge Advisory Board. The Cape Girardeau County Commission accepted the proposal without change. The board leaders recommended the county put asphalt on about five miles of county roads this year and try a chip-and-seal paving method on another 10 miles...
County accepts road board proposal (05/25/07)
Rural Cape Girardeau County residents will likely see the most aggressive road building effort in years following approval Thursday of a proposal from the Road and Bridge Advisory Board. The Cape Girardeau County Commission accepted the proposal without change. The board leaders recommended the county put asphalt on about five miles of county roads this year and try a chip-and-seal paving method on another 10 miles...
City, transportation department will share cost of replacing 13 stoplights (05/22/07)
Thirteen city intersections on state routes will get stoplights with non-interruptible power following approval by the Cape Girardeau City Council of a cost-sharing agreement with the Missouri Department of Transportation DOT to pay for installation and maintenance...
Board to vote on road plan Monday (05/01/07)
Another week of study should be enough to finalize a plan for paving county roads, the Cape Girardeau County Road and Bridge Advisory Board decided Monday evening. The board, by informal consensus, agreed that they would vote next Monday on the plan that will maintain past promises made for paving this year and recommend a list of roads for a dust control treatment. ...
Study delays Scott City bridge project (04/16/07)
The environmental review that must precede Scott City's Ramsey Creek Bridge project still hasn't begun, even though $5 million in federal funds were dedicated to the project in July 2005. Holding up progress on the Ramsey Creek project, which is meant to bypass Interstate 55 and connect Scott City's southern residential area to its northern industrial area, is a federally mandated traffic study. ...
Broadway reopens (03/20/07)
At 5 p.m. Monday, Broadway in Cape Girardeau reopened to two-way traffic, and community leaders hope the project will put a prettier face on one of the area's essential arteries to downtown. "My hope is that the corridor from Kingshighway to the river will be greatly improved. ...
MoDOT holds open-house meeting for discussion of highway project (02/09/07)
Motorists will drive along a smoother, wider and straighter Highway 72 from Fredericktown, Mo., to Jackson by 2010, Missouri highway officials say. The state will spend an estimated $30 million to $32 million to improve the 38 miles of highway, said Jeff Wachter, Missouri Transportation Department project designer. The project involves widening and resurfacing the highway and paving road shoulders as well as some bridge improvements...
Broadway to be closed to traffic about 50 days starting Monday (01/25/07)
Starting Monday morning, Broadway will be closed to traffic from West End Boulevard to Perry Avenue for about 50 days. The closure is the first phase of a two-phase program to widen Broadway by 12 feet and add turn lanes at its intersection with Clark Avenue...
MoDOT repairing concrete on I-55 (01/25/07)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation maintenance crews will be making concrete repairs on the northbound lanes of Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County. The repairs will be made one mile north of Route K at mile marker 97. Weather permitting, traffic will be reduced to one lane from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today...
Details of $535 million, three-year I-64 project in St. Louis announced (01/24/07)
ST. LOUIS -- Commuters who travel along Interstate 64 in the St. Louis area beware: Your three-year odyssey of orange cones, closed ramps and lane changes is about to begin. Gateway Constructors, the team hired by the Missouri Department of Transportation to rebuild 10 miles of the busy interstate, on Monday announced more details about its construction schedule for 2007. Overall, the project is expected to cost $535 million...
Road repair plan focuses on state's most heavily traveled highways (01/11/07)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's most heavily traveled highways are in line for a makeover. The state Highways and Transportation Commission approved a new initiative Wednesday that will speed up improvements to 5,573 miles of major highways. The goal is to get 85 percent of those roads -- up from the current 70 percent -- in good condition by 2011...
Route of new LaSalle Avenue in Cape moved (12/17/06)
The third phase of Cape Girardeau's Transportation Trust Fund includes a new path for LaSalle Avenue, a roundabout on Morgan Oak Street and a wider Mount Auburn Road. The widening, extension and overlay projects will get underway in 2007 and have an estimated cost of more than $20 million...
MoDOT commits to new I-55 exit (12/17/06)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation is committed to installing a new Interstate 55 interchange near Scott City, pending the acquisition of funds for the project. MoDOT personnel met with officials from the Scott County government, Scott City government, the Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission and U.S. ...
MoDOT to turn attention to bettering bridge system (12/12/06)
The early completion of the Missouri Department of Transportation's Smooth Roads Initiative won't expedite other projects in the immediate Cape Girardeau area but will allow MoDOT to focus on improvements to other roads in the Southeast Missouri district...
'Smooth Roads' paved 225 miles in region (12/12/06)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- With the completion of the Missouri Department of Transportation's Smooth Roads Initiative a year ahead of schedule, MoDOT's Southeast Missouri district engineer Mark Shelton said most of the major road problems in the area have been fixed...
Detours for Broadway (11/21/06)
The stretch of Broadway between Perryville Road and West End Boulevard will be closed for 50 days shortly after the beginning of the year, Cape Girardeau's city engineer said. The project, which will widen Broadway by 12 feet and add turn lanes at its intersection with Clark Avenue, will take place in two phases...
Cape to widen Independence, add sidewalks (11/18/06)
Motorists who have been bouncing along long stretches of Independence Street for years can look forward to a much smoother ride once the city widens the longtime thoroughfare, adds sidewalks on both sides and makes storm drainage improvements. The city wants to improve the street from Pacific Street to Kingshighway. The city improved a shorter stretch of Independence Street, from Sprigg Street to Pacific Street, in 2004...
Illinois, Kentucky to study I-66 routes (11/02/06)
Cape Girardeau and Sikeston both want the highway, which they expect would be an economic boon. By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian The Federal Highway Administration has approved funding for two separate four-year $500,000 studies to take a look at which Interstate 66 route makes the most sense -- either across Illinois to the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in Cape Girardeau or through Kentucky to Sikeston, Mo...
Work planned on Route K/Siemers Drive (11/01/06)
Southeast Missourian The Missouri Department of Transportation's signal crew will be making improvements to several traffic signals during the next few weeks in Cape Girardeau. The crew will work at the new Route K/Siemers Drive traffic signal today and Thursday, weather permitting. Lanes will be reduced from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m...
Completion of ramp project expected this week (10/30/06)
By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian Scott City residents can expect slight delays on the Interstate 55 interchange ramps some time this week as ramp repairs are finished. Work began repairing cracks in the ramps in early September with the majority of it happening at night. The Missouri Department of Transportation originally said the work would be finished in early October, but rainy weather and scheduling conflicts have caused the project's finish date to be delayed...
Cape Co. wants to divert industrial park road (10/27/06)
MoDOT said the county has to come up with $530,000 or take over another road to pay for the change. By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian The Cape Girardeau County Commission wants a proposed 3.75-mile extension of Nash Road to go around 389 acres of prime industrial development property, not through it. But that change to the Missouri Department of Transportation plan could cost the county more than half a million dollars...
Linden Street reopens today with ribbon-cutting (10/27/06)
Southeast Missourian A ribbon-cutting will take place today to celebrate the completion of the Linden Street widening and reconstruction project. The improvements stretch from West End Blvd. to South Sprigg Street. Lappe Cement Finishing Inc. was the contractor for the $440,927 project funded by motor fuel sales tax...
MoDOT expects work to continue on Route K (10/13/06)
The Missouri Department of Transportation expects a contractor to continue improvements to Route K (William Street) in Cape Girardeau next week, weather permitting. The contractor plans to work in the area from I-55 west past Wal-Mart starting Monday, Oct. 16 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The work will continue for a few days until the project is complete...
Missouri unveils bridge repair plan (09/08/06)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Flanked by a decaying bridge and a yellow school bus, state officials on Thursday announced plans to repair or replace 800 of Missouri's worst bridges by 2012. The project, labeled the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Plan, will allow a single contractor to both design and build the bridge upgrades as well as maintain the bridges for at least 25 years, at an estimated cost of $400 million to $600 million...
MoDOT plans ramp repairs on Interstate 55 (09/07/06)
Repair work will begin Monday on the Interstate 55 interchange ramps at Scott City, weather permitting. Work starts at 6 p.m. and goes to 6 a.m. daily. The southbound on-ramp will be the first to undergo repairs. The ramp will remain open, but traffic will be detoured onto the shoulder, with speed reduced to 25 miles per hour...
Bridge's fate rests with county commission (09/07/06)
Contractors removed the old steel pony truss bridge from County Road 439 Wednesday, taking the structure in one piece to the Cape Girardeau County highway maintenance shed. The bridge, which county commissioners have sought to give away, will now sit until a decision is made on which, if any, of six applicants will receive it...
Jackson awards street repair contract, hopes to add to list (09/06/06)
City streets in Jackson will undergo major concrete repairs during the next few months. The city awarded a $135,205 contract to Fronabarger Concreters Inc. of Oak Ridge to repair 27 streets through its annual concrete street repair program. Work is scheduled to begin in the next couple of weeks and should be complete by the end of November...
Project could affect Old Route 74 traffic (08/31/06)
Missouri Department of Transportation crews began work on Old Route 74 in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday and expect to continue work through today. The work began Wednesday afternoon, reducing the Old Route 74 bridge to one lane. Work will continue today from 7 a.m. to noon. For more information about the project, call (888) ASK-MODOT...
Phone lines cause Broadway delay (08/26/06)
City officials say they are at "wit's end" over a Broadway street resurfacing job that should have taken only three weeks but instead has taken most of the summer. Private contractors, however, say the city should have known about buried utility lines, which are to blame for the delay. At issue is a 900-foot section of Broadway near the entrance of Southeast Missouri State University...
Intersection closed for bridge work (08/23/06)
A heavily traveled intersection in Jackson has been closed until late October as part of the Highway 34/72 widening project. The intersection of Highway 34/72 and West Main Street was closed Tuesday so Missouri Department of Transportation crews can tear out and replace a bridge to make room for additional traffic lanes, said Kevin Plott, MoDOT senior construction inspector...
MoDOT touring paving projects (08/16/06)
Missouri Department of Transportation bigwigs will hit the road over the next two months to see what has been accomplished with 12.8 million tons of asphalt. Top officials of the department embarked on a "Seat of Your Pants" tour Monday to review how the Smooth Roads Initiative is working. The initiative, begun after the passage of Amendment 3 in 2004, is aimed at making 2,200 miles of Missouri highways smoother and safer by Dec. 31...
$8.1 million contract awarded for new I-55 interchange (08/11/06)
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded a construction contract Wednesday for the new Interstate 55 interchange in Cape Girardeau County. Commissioners awarded the $8.1 million contract to Dumey Contracting Inc. of Benton, Mo. The East Main Street extension project includes grading, paving and bridge construction for the interchange located about two and a half miles north of Center Junction...
MoDOT to undertake resurfacing project (08/11/06)
Motorists traveling on U.S. 61 through Cape Girardeau and Jackson can expect a road free of potholes and brighter striping by the end of the year. Next week the Missouri Department of Transportation will begin a 10-mile long resurfacing project from south Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau to the Highway 25 in Jackson. Work is expected to begin at 6 p.m. Monday below the Interchange 55 overpass at Center Junction...
Paving underway on Scott City's Main Street (08/08/06)
For the next week motorists using Main Street in Scott City can expect nighttime delays. Crews with Apex Paving Co. began work Monday evening on the resurfacing of Main Street from just west of Interstate 55 to Route N on the city's eastern end. Traffic was reduced to one lane in work areas, causing some traffic delays Monday night. Work started on the east end of town near Old Illmo, where fewer cars travel Main Street than in the area closer to I-55...
MoDOT official: Interstate 55 interchange not on hold (08/03/06)
Andy Meyer of the Missouri Department of Transportation dispelled rumors that the Interstate 55 interchange project had been put on hold, announcing that groundbreaking is scheduled to take place Aug. 31. Meyer, project manager, spoke at a joint planning and z...
Jackson wants to tie Old Orchard Road plan to interchange (07/27/06)
The city of Jackson hopes to secure Missouri Department of Transportation funds to improve and extend an outer road along Interstate 55. Old Orchard Road will stretch along the west side of I-55 from the future East Main Street interchange to Center Junction...
Cape roundabout will be smoothed out in early fall (07/20/06)
Drivers of big rigs and school buses rejoice. Sometime early in the fall, the roundabout at the intersection of Silver Springs and Gordonville roads in Cape Girardeau will be friendlier to large vehicles. As part of the city's annual overlay project, subcontractors will lay 4 inches of asphalt on the roundabout, making the driving lane flush with the inner concrete section...
City hopes to finish widening by late August (07/19/06)
City crews will continue work on the section of Broadway stretching from Houck Place to Pacific Avenue for the next month and are hoping to complete it by the time classes begin at Southeast Missouri State University on Aug. 21. Last week, crews laid the first of two layers of asphalt, smoothing the road that leads up to the university entrance. The plan originally called for a net widening of 4 feet on the road, but because of utility conflicts, the widening will only be two feet...
MoDOT crews to repair I-55 lanes, bridge this week (07/18/06)
Missouri Department of Transportation maintenance crews will be making repairs on the north and southbound lanes of Interstate 55 in Perry County this week. The northbound repairs will be made a half-mile south of the Perryville exit to the exit from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday. The southbound repairs will be made from the Route F overpass to the Cape Girardeau County line from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday...
Road panel approved, now needs members (07/14/06)
Wanted: 11 Cape Girardeau County residents concerned about roads. Applications are open for slots on the Cape Girardeau County Road and Bridge Advisory Board. The board, approved unanimously by the county commission Thursday, is a response to public scrutiny given to road building since commissioners placed a half-cent sales-tax issue on the Aug. 8 ballot...
MoDOT looking into Kelso exit (07/10/06)
The Missouri Department of Transportation says it will study installing a new interchange on Interstate 55 near Scott City as part of the Ramsey Creek Bridge project. MoDOT project manager Eric Krapf said the project is still in its infancy, but a new interchange south of Scott City that would connect the Kelso area to the interstate and to a corridor running all the way to Nash Road may be included in the overall Ramsey Creek project, he said...
Construction begins today on Mount Auburn widening (07/10/06)
A construction project begins today to widen Mount Auburn Road from William Street to Bloomfield Road, with a ground breaking ceremony at 10 a.m. at Fire Station No. 2 on Mount Auburn Road. When finished, the street will be widened from 44 feet to 59 feet and from two to four lanes with an additional middle turn lane...
East Main interchange work could begin by Sept. 11 (07/06/06)
Construction of the East Main Street interchange on Interstate 55 could get underway by mid-September as the contractor races to get initial work done so traffic can be detoured before winter hits. "It really depends on whether or not the weather cooperates," said Andy Meyer, project manager for the Missouri Department of Transportation in Sikeston, Mo...
Bloomfield Road project moving, opening slated (06/30/06)
The Bloomfield Road Phase 3 construction project will be substantially completed and the road reopened next week. The road will officially open at a ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for 10 a.m. July 7 on the east end of the project. The $801,104 project is the reconstruction of Bloomfield Road from Siemers Drive to the Stonebridge subdivision and is a Transportation Trust Fund 2 project. ...
MoDOT chief backs separate truck lanes on I-70 (06/30/06)
ST. LOUIS -- The head of Missouri's transportation system favors separating large trucks from cars and other light vehicles on Interstate 70 between St. Louis and Kansas City. Director Pete Rahn of the Missouri Department of Transportation said heavy trucks make up more than 40 percent of the traffic, four times the rate for which the highway was designed in the 1950s, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Thursday...
Officials question proposal for county sales-tax increase (06/27/06)
A homemade county road plan proposed to the Cape Girardeau County Commission Monday underlined the county's lack of a firm plan for spending a proposed half-cent sales tax. The failure to provide a detailed proposal with the ballot measure, which will be called Proposition 1 on Aug. ...
MoDOT to help pay for Jackson sidewalk study (06/27/06)
The city of Jackson take a closer look at its sidewalks within the next few months. At a regular meeting of the Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday night, the board passed a motion supporting the city's application to the Missouri Department of Transportation for assistance in a sidewalk inventory and condition study. The city will pay 20 percent of the $9,000 sidewalk study and MoDOT will pick up the remaining costs through its Transportation Engineering Assistance Program...
Study: Cable barriers almost eliminate 'crossover' accidents (06/26/06)
WARRENTON, Mo. -- A new study shows that the network of cables now spanning Interstate 70 between St. Louis and Kansas City is saving lives and reducing the number of vehicles crossing into oncoming traffic. Out of 378 accidents in 2005 in which vehicles hit the cables, only 6 percent made it through, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation...
Rising road costs, leaner paving plans (06/24/06)
Drivers know they're paying at the pump, but they might be surprised to know they're also paying where the rubber hits the road. That's because the cost of asphalt -- the most common substance used for surfacing roads -- has recently spiked. The key ingredient in asphalt is petroleum, so as the price of crude oil goes up, the cost of roadwork follows...
County paving project under scrutiny (06/20/06)
The rules for selecting county paving projects need to be revised and changes will be in place before voters decide whether to give Cape Girardeau County more money, county commissioners said Monday. Addressing more than 60 people who packed the community room of the County Administration Building, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said there are several rules that should be overhauled...
Broadview Street to be closed this week for repairs (06/18/06)
The 600 block of Broadview Street at Maria Louise Ln. will be closed beginning Monday. The street will be closed to traffic from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily through Thursday. Traffic will be detoured onto Optimist Drive to Spartech Drive and back to Broadview Street during this time...
Mount Auburn widening project to get underway in July (06/14/06)
Cape Girardeau has contracted with Lappe Cement Finishing to widen Mount Auburn Road from William Street to Bloomfield Road. Two lanes of the road will stay open throughout the construction period which is set to begin in early July. Engineering officials hope to have the project completed by Thanksgiving...
Cape County lays out expanded paving schedule with tax increase (06/09/06)
A proposal for an accelerated county road-paving program states that Cape Girardeau County could blacktop an extra 19 miles of gravel roads during the first six years of a half-cent sales-tax increase. The detailed program, presented to the Cape Girardeau County Commission by county highway administrator Scott Bechtold, is subject to change and will be discussed at a public hearing June 19...
East Main Street extension work starts today (05/30/06)
Construction crews will begin clearing a path today in Jackson to extend East Main Street to the future Interstate 55 interchange. The first phase of the two-phase East Main Street extension project costs the city more than $600,000. Jackson public works director Rodney Bollinger said the contractor plans to demolish a house and then clear the land to make way for the roadway...
Roads closed due to construction (05/28/06)
Road construction along Highway 34/72 in Jackson will force road and lane closures beginning this week, the Missouri Department of Transportation announced Friday. Penzel Construction will working on box culverts along the highway project, forcing the closures...
MoDOT: Scott City's Main Street targeted for paving by summer's end (05/26/06)
The signs along Route K in Scott City say the street will be paved by winter. But MoDOT assures that the city's Main Street will be resurfaced before the end of summer. City leaders and residents of Scott City have noticed the signs at the edge of town -- MoDOT blue signs with a "winter 2006" completion date for resurfacing the city's primary east-west traffic corridor...
Utility project to close section of Sprigg Street (05/26/06)
North Sprigg Street between Bertling Street and Lexington Avenue will be closed to through traffic for utility construction Friday. The street will reopen Friday evening and remain open for the holiday weekend. The street will close again to through traffic Tuesday through the end of the week. Motorists not living in the area are encouraged to use alternate routes...
Traffic flow changing near Jackson High School (05/23/06)
Motorists traveling around Jackson High School can expect changes in traffic flow and additional stop signs around the campus beginning June 1. West Madison, West Jefferson and Colorado will become two-way streets. Additionally, South Russell Street between West Madison and West Jefferson streets, and West Madison between South Russell and Oklahoma streets will be vacated and barricaded...
A Global decision: Broadway business owners say the city isn't fair (05/16/06)
Owners of a local grocery store, Global Trading, are wondering whether all businesses are being treated equally by city hall in Cape Girardeau's Broadway widening project. City hall officials counter that they have altered their plans to accommodate the store and believe the process is a fair one...
MoDOT: Highway 34/72 project ready to enter next phase (05/16/06)
Missouri Department of Transportation officials will observe the start of the second phase of the Highway 34/72 improvement project today with a groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at Pioneer Market in Jackson. Speakers will include state Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, state Rep. Scott Lipke, R-Jackson, Jackson Mayor Paul Sander and Marybeth Williams, president of Jackson's Chamber of Commerce...
Lawmakers authorize toll bridge (05/13/06)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- It's still far from a certainty, but a proposed toll bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Louis made its first move toward reality Friday as Missouri lawmakers gave their consent. Legislation given final approval by a 134-23 House vote would allow the estimated $910 million bridge to be built with a combination of federal and private funds. Under the public-private partnership, private investors could charge tolls to recoup their costs for the bridge...
Cape Girardeau street improvement projects should help traffic (05/09/06)
Several street improvement projects, including the installation of four traffic signals at heavily congested intersections, should improve traffic flow in Cape Girardeau by this fall. Traffic signals will be installed at the intersections of Siemers Drive and Lambert Drive; Siemers Drive and Bloomfield Road; Bloomfield Road and Mount Auburn Road; and at an entrance to the Westfield West Park off Mount Auburn Road, near El Acapulco Mexican Restaurant...
Next phase of Bloomfield project to begin Monday (05/06/06)
The Bloomfield Road project has progressed to phase II ahead of schedule, say Cape Girardeau city engineers. The final phase of the widening and resurfacing project begins Monday and will force residents of nearby subdivisions to divert 2.9 miles to reach Route K via Benton Hill Road and 5.3 miles to reach Wal-Mart...
Jackson aldermen set to award bid for East Main project (05/01/06)
Jackson's Board of Aldermen will award a contract at its regular board meeting tonight for phase one of the East Main Street Extension project. The lowest bid was nearly $260,000 less than the engineering estimate of $864,355 for the project. "We got a lot of interest and the bids were very competitive. We're very excited," said Rodney Bollinger, Jackson's public works director...
MoDOT newsletter made available to public (04/25/06)
The Missouri Department of Transportation will release semi-annual newsletters with information regarding the multi-phase Route 72 project in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Madison counties. The first issue of "Route 72 Solutions" will be released by the end of April. ...
MoDOT gets deed for East Main project (04/14/06)
A final piece of the puzzle fell into place for the Missouri Department of Transportation on Thursday when it acquired the last right-of-way deed for the East Main Street Interchange project. At a special meeting of Jackson's Board of Aldermen, city attorney Tom Ludwig handed over the 6-acre deed of land to Andy Meyer, MoDOT project manager...
MoDOT awards bid for next phase of 34/72 widening (04/13/06)
Just a few months after rejecting a bid for the same amount, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded a construction contract on Wednesday for the second phase of improvements to Route 34/72 in Jackson. Phase two of the project includes widening and resurfacing from one mile west of the Route 25 intersection to 2.2 miles west of Route 25. It also includes adding signals, curb, gutter and storm sewers...
Weather, I-55 work push back paving in Scott City (04/08/06)
Just over two weeks have passed since resurfacing was set to begin on Scott City's Main Street, but so far little work has occurred on the project and may not for months. MoDOT has no timeline for the resumption of the paving of Main Street, also known as Route K, from the Interstate 55 interchange to Route N on the city's eastern end, said MoDOT operations engineer Lynelle Luther...
Resurfacing work begins Monday on I-55 (04/07/06)
Interstate 55 from Scott City to Fruitland is scheduled to undergo resurfacing beginning Monday evening. Northbound lanes on I-55 will be reduced to one lane while new asphalt is laid over existing pavement, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation. ...
Cape repairing, modifying roundabout that drew drivers' complaints (04/07/06)
Cape Girardeau's controversial roundabout is receiving a facelift -- again. Over the next two weeks the city's public works department will make minor adjustments to the roundabout at Gordonville and Silver Springs roads, said Tim Gramling, public works director. Crews will replace broken outer curbs and gutters and redesign part of the roundabout to make it easier for drivers to maneuver...
Bloomfield Road construction set to begin Monday (04/01/06)
Construction is set to begin Monday on the first phase of the Bloomfield Road project. The project will close stretches of Bloomfield until July 1. The first phase of construction work will close the portion of Bloomfield between Siemers Drive and Ramsey Creek Bridge. City crews have laid extra gravel on a pre-existing utility road leading from Shawnee Parkway to the Stonebridge subdivision to serve as a local detour for the mostly elderly residents of the subdivision...
Cape's Main Street traffic switches to two-way today (03/27/06)
The signs are in place, the dividing line is striped and the loading zones are designated. Now officials can only sit back and cross their fingers. Two-way traffic on Cape Girardeau's Main Street begins today at 6 a.m. The police department will have officers stationed on the street, and will park vehicles pointing northward to emphasize the changeover...
Illinois will add two lanes to East Cape highway (03/24/06)
A $1.5 million federal transportation grant -- expected to boost economic development in Alexander County -- will be used to widen Highway 146 to four lanes from East Cape Girardeau, Ill., to the intersection with Highway 3. The Department of Transportation grant is part of a federal program that supports transportation infrastructure and economic development in the eight-state region covered by the Delta Regional Authority. ...
MoDOT's I-64 project to offer minority job training (03/21/06)
ST. LOUIS -- More than six years after protesters blocked highway traffic asking for more minority construction contracts, a plan to hire a large minority work force is moving forward on a multimillion-dollar interstate project here. The Missouri Department of Transportation has committed more than $2 million of the project budget to train minority, women and low-income workers for the Interstate 64 construction slated to begin by 2007...
Blocked artery (03/20/06)
In Scott City, Main Street is the quickest way to get from one side of town to the other. The corridor runs the length of town from west to east, carrying most of the city's traffic -- 15,410 vehicle a day, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation...
MoDOT: Jackson, Scott City projects could affect traffic flow (03/15/06)
Westbound traffic along Highway 34/72 in Jackson will be reduced to one lane today as workers smooth the pavement. The project will close the passing lane of westbound Highway 34/72 from Route PP to Main Street, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation...
Broadway project slowed by bumps in property acquisition (03/15/06)
City property acquisition continues to be slow going along Broadway with city hall and property owners remaining far apart in some places. A court date of March 27 has been set for condemnation of a 27-foot stretch of property in front of Global Trading Food Products at 1304 Broadway...
Cape City Council OKs two-way traffic on downtown street (02/22/06)
The Cape Girardeau City Council approved two-way traffic on Main Street Tuesday night, though it's not yet known when the one-way street will be restriped into two 10.5-foot lanes. The decision, which may have become a foregone conclusion in recent weeks, was not always so assured...
City draws alternative plans for Fountain Street extension (02/16/06)
Cape Girardeau is moving forward on a plan to extend Fountain Street, but city officials are not certain whether the improvements will resemble the ones already made to the stretch of the street south of Morgan Oak Street. The city planner's office has released a preliminary drawing of the extension of Fountain Street that will connect it north with William Street. ...
Interchange No. 1 topic at joint Cape, Jackson meeting (02/14/06)
There could be no doubt which city officials showed the most spirit at Monday night's joint meeting between the Cape Girardeau city council and the Jackson board of aldermen. Mayor Paul Sander and the Jackson officials came dressed in red, their high school's trademark color, as they welcomed Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson and the neighboring delegation for the 10th annual meeting in what has become a friendly relationship between the two cities...
Interchange expected to top joint Cape, Jackson agenda (02/13/06)
Cape Girardeau and Jackson city officials plan to give updates on several major projects when they hold a joint meeting today. With funding secure for the future East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue Interchange project on Interstate 55, Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson and Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said it's time to work out the final details of the project...
Two-way Main Street proposal heads to council after unanimous approval (02/09/06)
A plan that would make Cape Girardeau's downtown more accessible and easier to navigate took a step towards realization Wednesday when the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a proposal calling for a two-way Main Street and the reconfiguration of the municipal parking lot...
Cape city engineers split Bloomfield Road project into two phases (01/14/06)
The Bloomfield Road project will now be done in two phases, allowing it to remain open longer, in response to concerns from residents. The first phase will involve work between Siemers Drive and Ramsey Creek Bridge. During this phase, the stretch of Bloomfield Road will be closed with a local detour. The detour will lead from Shawnee Parkway and cut cross-country on a small gravel road to the Stonebridge subdivision...
Missouri Highways and Transportation Committee awards project contracts (01/13/06)
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Committee awarded contracts Tuesday for new traffic signals in Jackson and improvements to Highway 72 in Patton. In a cost-share project with the city of Jackson, traffic signals will be built at the Route D and Farmington Road intersection. The $92,181 contract was awarded to Cotner Electric Co. in Cape Girardeau...
Jackson selects street projects to benefit from road tax funds (01/09/06)
Twenty-eight streets in Jackson will have potholes filled and other concrete repairs made in the upcoming year. The available $150,000 to make the repairs comes after a lawsuit was settled between Cape Girardeau County and the city of Jackson regarding the allotment of the county road and bridge taxes. Both sides officially ended the 3-year tax battle last March...
Bloomfield Road closure unsafe, say residents (12/22/05)
About 20 residents met with Cape Girardeau officials Wednesday night to air concerns of safety, inconvenience and costliness concerning the Bloomfield Road reconstruction project. The project, meant to widen the existing road, will require a three-month-long shutdown of the half-mile section of Bloomfield between Siemers Drive and Stonebridge Drive...
Part of 34/72 will be opened to four lanes in Jackson on Wednesday (12/20/05)
Signals along the one-mile upgraded portion of Highway 34/72 in Jackson should be operating Wednesday evening, allowing all four lanes of the new roadway to be opened to traffic. This is a milestone in the three-phase Highway 34/72 widening project, said Kevin Plott, senior construction inspector for the Missouri Department of Transportation...
MoDOT offers Ramsey Creek bridge options to Scott City (11/22/05)
The Missouri Department of Transportation has given Scott City two options on the Ramsey Creek Bridge project -- take control of the project, or give up the reins to MoDOT. Scott City Mayor Tim Porch shared MoDOT's recommendations with the Scott City Council Monday night. ...
Rt. K resurfacing work delayed (11/16/05)
A contractor has postponed repaving of Route K until next week because of the wet, cool weather, the Missouri Department of Transportation said Tuesday. Work is expected to start Monday. Construction will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning at Gordonville and moving eastward to Cape Girardeau over the course of the next several weeks, MoDOT officials said...
I-57 bridges being replaced next year (11/11/05)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission gave the go-ahead Thursday to replace the northbound and southbound bridges over North Cut Ditch on Interstate 57 near Sikeston. The bridges are a half-mile east of Interstate 55. Both will be replaced for $2,379,861 by Robertson Contractors Inc. of Poplar Bluff, Mo...
Highway 34/72 hits roadblock with high bids (11/11/05)
High costs of asphalt caused the Missouri Department of Transportation to hit a roadblock with the Highway 34/72 improvement project in Jackson. On Wednesday, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission decided not to award a contract for the second phase of a three-phase widening project that will expand Highway 34/72 from two lanes to four...
MoDOT to discuss widening of Highway 72 with public (11/03/05)
The Missouri Department of Transportation is providing information at a public meeting today on plans to improve the winding and aging Highway 72 in Bollinger and Madison counties. The meeting will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Meadow Heights High School cafeteria, on Highway 72 in Patton, Mo...
Bridge at Cairo reopens to traffic (10/28/05)
CAIRO, Ill. -- The Highway 60/62 bridge over the Mississippi River connecting Bird's Point, Mo., to Cairo opened Thursday morning, nearly a week earlier than expected. The bridge was scheduled to reopen Nov. 2, but the contractor, Massman Construction Co., was able to get a quick jump on the work and enjoyed good weather, said Joe Lenzini with the Illinois Department of Transportation...
Broadway shops look forward to business as usual (10/27/05)
Ralph Wille found it hard to sell doughnuts amid all the construction work on Broadway. Some customers avoided his bakery rather than run the dusty gantlet of orange construction barricades and heavy machinery. It made for a long summer, Wille said...
MoDOT to fully activate new traffic signals on Kingshighway on Monday (10/22/05)
New traffic signals, currently flashing yellow, will be fully activated on Monday to regulate traffic at the intersection of South Kingshighway and Silver Springs Road, state highway officials said. The new signals are part of a $1 million intersection improvement and relocation project...
Jackson aldermen to take up lighting proposal (10/17/05)
Bigger and brighter street lights should welcome motorists driving into Jackson on U.S. 61 sometime after the first of the year. After being denied several grants to fund engineering for the East Jackson Boulevard streetscape lighting project, the city's Board of Aldermen will vote today on whether to spend $23,700 to fund the engineering portion of the project...
City to widen Mount Auburn Road by next fall (10/16/05)
Motorists going to the mall or Doctors' Park could find themselves traveling on a wider Mount Auburn Road by next fall. Improvements will include a center turn lane and traffic signals, city officials said. The Cape Girardeau City Council is expected to vote Monday night to authorize city staff to begin buying property to widen the busy thoroughfare from William Street south to Bloomfield Road...
MoDOT awards ramp repair contract (10/15/05)
Southeat Missourian The Missouri Department of Transportation will repair the Interstate 55 ramps at the Scott City interchange using a new construction process. The state highway commission awarded a $155,061 contract Friday to Gaines Construction Inc. of Wentzville, Mo...
E. Main project's price tag jumps to $8 million (10/07/05)
MoDOT said the previous $5.8 million design wouldn't handle future traffic. The Missouri Department of Transportation now plans to spend $8 million to construct the East Main Street interchange at Interstate 55. MoDOT previously had budgeted $5.8 million for construction of a scaled-down design that project manager Andy Meyer says eventually would have required improvements to meet future traffic needs...
MoDOT will run E. Main project underneath I-55 (10/05/05)
Missouri's highway department plans to dig a huge hole under Interstate 55 and extend a five-lane East Main Street underneath rather than above the highway. That is part of the latest design planned for the new East Main Street interchange, Missouri Department of Transportation officials said Tuesday. MoDOT has gone through 14 designs for the new interchange...
Center Junction light project may start next week (09/24/05)
The preliminary work for another Center Junction had to be finished first. Preliminary work on a 10-mile road resurfacing project is winding down at Center Junction just in time for a lighting project to get underway -- perhaps as early as next week, transportation officials said Friday...
Old Appleton gets new bridge (09/24/05)
More than two decades since a flash flood ripped down Old Appleton's historic bridge, a contractor hoisted the iron truss frame of the bridge into place Friday afternoon. Mayor Kevin Amschler said earlier this week that the decking and handrails for the bridge should be complete within two months...
Cairo bridge will close until early Nov. (09/13/05)
Farmers will have to haul grain 25 miles out of the way. WYATT, Mo. -- Farmers in Mississippi County will face a new challenge in getting their grain to market this harvest season. Just as the fall harvest kicks into full gear, one of the primary routes farmers from the Wyatt area take to haul their grain to market will be shut down, detouring them up to an extra 25 miles out of the way...
Temporary closing of Daisy Avenue required (08/30/05)
Weather permitting, the road should be closed for approximately three weeks. Motorists traveling through the city of Jackson will need to plan on taking an alternate street when trying to reach Route 34 by way of Daisy Avenue beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday...
I-55 project pushed up six months (08/26/05)
Cape Girardeau County could have a new Interstate 55 interchange constructed by the winter of 2007, or six months sooner than originally expected, state highway officials said Thursday. Missouri Department of Transportation officials said design work on the East Main Street interchange project should be completed by April. The project could be advertised for bid as early as next summer, MoDOT officials said...
Ramsey bridge decades in making (08/18/05)
Scott City officials expect the project to ease traffic jams and attract new business development. Traffic congestion usually isn't a problem for towns of 5,000 people, but usually doesn't apply to Scott City. Nearly every morning and afternoon, the city sees the kind of bottleneck experienced in large metropolitan areas, and it has been that way for decades...
Officials lobbied to get more East Main funds (08/07/05)
Critics of the federal bill said the interchange highlights two problems with the program. When local officials lobbied for federal help to build a new Interstate 55 interchange, they knew that a practical road project involved more than just new exit ramps...
E. Main, LaSalle will be built with extra $5 million (08/05/05)
Federal highway dollars will pay the entire cost of a new and expanded Interstate 55 interchange in Cape Girardeau County and two connecting roads, local and state officials said Thursday. The government largesse could expand the project to include outer roads paralleling the interstate, but not without local funding, Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said...
Cape plans to widen south-side street (08/04/05)
Three apartment complexes hug Linden Street. The south-side Cape Girardeau street is also home to the county's busy public health center. Cape Girardeau city officials say the narrow street needs widening and sidewalks. The city plans to award a contract this fall for the street and sidewalk construction, estimated to cost nearly $196,000...
SEMO students will return to find wider Broadway (07/30/05)
The widening of Broadway from Park Avenue to Houck Place should be largely completed by the time students return next month for fall semester classes at Southeast Missouri State University, school officials said. Students begin returning to campus on Aug. 18, and classes start on Aug. 22...
Bill funds 2 local road projects (07/29/05)
Congress approves money for East Main interchange and Ramsey Creek bridge. The new federal highway bill on the verge of congressional approval will fuel two long-sought highway projects in the area: Jackson's East Main Street interchange and Scott City's Ramsey Creek bridge...
I-55 to get wider stripes as part of safety project (07/27/05)
Interstate 55 is changing its stripes -- they're getting wider and, transportation officials say, safer. The interstate is among the 2,200 miles of Missouri roadways that will soon be sporting a new look, with brighter, longer-lasting center stripes, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation...
Transportation sales tax vital, officials say (07/25/05)
Cape Girardeau roadways, current and future, relying on sales tax extension. Cape Girardeau's transportation sales tax is necessary when it comes to fixing city streets and building new ones, city officials say. Without it, the city would be hard-pressed just to maintain existing streets, much less build new ones to serve growing residential and commercial areas...
Road projects await passage of TTF3 issue (07/25/05)
Cape Girardeau would move ahead with nine major road projects if city voters approve a half-cent sales tax measure, Transportation Trust Fund 3, on the Aug. 2 ballot. Here's what would be done: LaSalle Avenue: The most expensive project on the list, it could cost more than $3.1 million...
Two intersections in Cape getting upgrade in lights (07/23/05)
The traffic signals at the intersections of Independence Street and Kingshighway and William and Broadview streets will be upgraded at night, starting Sunday. Missouri Department of Transportation crews plan to replace existing bulbs with new 12-inch light-emitting diodes. MoDOT officials said the diodes only have to be replaced once every seven years and use less electricity...
Intersection in Jackson to close (07/23/05)
Main Street in Jackson will be closed at Highway 34 starting next week as progress continues on constructing additional lanes to the highway. Main Street will close starting at 7 a.m. Monday, weather permitting. The closure is expected to last about two weeks. Motorists are encouraged to take alternate routes around the work zone...
Cape starts '05 overlay program (07/23/05)
Work began Thursday on an $834,000 project to fix problem areas and improve Cape Girardeau streets. Workers with ASA Paving Co., the contractor that won the bid for the 2005 street overlay program, began milling and patching asphalt in the area of Arena Park. Patching and milling will be done before repaving, which will provide a 2-inch asphalt overlay on selected streets. The project also includes some curb and gutter repairs...
MoDOT to meet with residents on plan to widen Highway 72 (07/20/05)
The Missouri Department of Transportation is planning to widen Highway 72 in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties and will meet with area residents next week to discuss the impact. MoDOT will widen both 11-foot lanes to 12 feet and create paved shoulders from Highway 51 in Bollinger County to Highway 34 in Cape Girardeau County. Workers also will make improvements to some hills and curves...
Jackson to move water, sewer lines for widening of 34/72 (07/19/05)
Before Phase 2 of the Highway 34/72 widening project in Jackson can begin, the city of Jackson will move water and sewer lines to make way for the Missouri Department of Transportation's plans. The city announced Monday that it will begin moving those lines running parallel to West Jackson Boulevard between Old Toll Road and the city limits near the Jackson Medical Center...
Broadway project to cause traffic detour (07/15/05)
ROAD CLOSING Broadway to have detour today Broadway from Pacific Street to Henderson Avenue will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m. to noon today to allow for construction work on the Broadway widening project. Detour signs will be posted and motorists will be encouraged to use alternate routes, said acting city engineer Abdul Alkadry...
Jackson, state disagree on who should pay for lights along U.S. 61 (07/14/05)
Jackson city officials want the state to pay for street lights to provide a well-lit entrance to the city along U.S. 61. But Missouri Department of Transportation officials say the city should foot the bill on the state-maintained route. The disagreement is playing out in letters from MoDOT and the city...
Highway commission awards area road contracts, OKs five-year plan (07/09/05)
The Missouri State Highways and Transportation Commission awarded contracts Friday to add turn lanes and widen Highway 51 in Perryville and stripe 176 miles of roadways in Southeast Missouri. Commissioners awarded a $202,648 contract to Fronabarger Concreters Inc. of Oak Ridge. The project involves the addition of turn lanes 1,000 feet east of the U.S. 61/Highway 51 intersection in Perryville, Missouri Department of Transportation officials said...
Interchange means new street for Cape (07/06/05)
Construction of the new East Main Street interchange on Interstate 55 will pave the way for a new entrance road for the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University's planned life sciences research park and a new outer road along the east side of the interstate...
East Main interchange plan got its start in the '80s (07/05/05)
Editor's note: An interchange connecting East Main Street in Jackson with Interstate 55 is a project that has been talked about since the 1980s. Until a deal to build the interchange was announced last week the project remained a long shot, primarily because Jackson could not afford the $5.8 million cost even with help from the Missouri Department of Transportation. This is the second of a three-part series examining how the interchange came to be and how it may be developed...
Interchange project a long time coming (07/03/05)
Handshakes. Smiles. And laughs. Two current mayors, a couple of lawyers, a few engineers and other elected and appointed officials both past and present patted each other on the back Wednesday afternoon for reaching a monumental and unprecedented compromise that will bring another interstate interchange to the region...
Interchange agreement made official (06/30/05)
Four local entities strike deal to make East Main Street interchange a reality. Jackson Mayor Paul Sander waited about 10 years for this. In a room crowded with some of the area's most important dignitaries, developers and politicians, Sander, dressed in a brown sports coat and an American baseball tie, could finally announce Wednesday what he's been working on for so long...
Construction to temporarily close one lane of South Kingshighway (06/29/05)
One of the two northbound lanes on South Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau will be closed to traffic temporarily beginning today because of construction of the new Silver Springs Road intersection, the Missouri Department of Transportation said. The lane will be closed through July 15 in the work zone near Interstate 55, MoDOT officials said...
Pains from progress: Broadway businesses suffer during construction (06/29/05)
A street-widening project, slated to last into August, slows consumer traffic for some business owners. Autumn Demopoulos looks outside the windows of her Cape Girardeau restaurant with an uneasy eye. Just beyond the borders of California Juice Club, her Greek-styled eatery, is a two-block row of orange cones and bulky barriers. She sees disturbed dirt. She sees burly men in hard hats and tolerates growling earth movers...
Water St. tries for tourists with new direction (06/29/05)
Street improvements include one-way traffic and new panels that explain floodwall murals. City crews put the finishing touches on Water Street renovations Tuesday as motorists drove by on the one-way, southbound street, which has become a focus of tourism along Cape Girardeau's riverfront...
Jackson, MoDOT agree on Route D traffic light (06/28/05)
Jackson resident Van Riehl, like many other motorists, drives on Route D nearly every day. The traffic is always worst in the mornings when parents and buses take their children to school; when workers make their way to their jobs. Route D is one of Jackson's major east-west routes. It passes by a school, a gas station, a car wash, a day-care center and a funeral home. Several roads, which lead into large subdivisions, feed into the highway...
MoDOT OKs U-turn signs for Jackson's 34/72 project (06/27/05)
U-turn signs? U-bet. The Missouri Department of Transportation's District 10 office recently notified the city of Jackson that it would install U-turn signs at various sections of the Highway 34/72 widening project. Local merchants along the stretch, primarily Alderman Joe Bob Baker who owns a salvage yard there, complained recently that the lack of signs would hurt business...
East Main Street-Interstate 55 interchange moves forward (06/18/05)
Mayors of Cape, Jackson say they've reached an informal agreement on the project. Negotiations on an interchange for East Main Street and Interstate 55 took an optimistic step Friday. Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said the city councils in Cape Girardeau and Jackson would receive proposals soon, meaning officials have come to an informal agreement that would allow the project to be handed over to the Missouri Department of Transportation for final engineering and construction...
MoDOT hopes to spark negotiations for interchange (06/14/05)
Construction was supposed to begin this year with a possible completion as early as 2006. Stalled negotiations for Jackson's proposed East Main Street Interstate 55 interchange received a nudge in the right direction Monday night thanks to the Missouri Department of Transporation...
Companies win bids for road projects (06/11/05)
Two construction companies have won bids for new road projects in the Cape Girardeau area. Workers could begin construction on a new turn lane on Route K in Cape Girardeau and new lighting at the Interstate 55/Highway 61 interchange as early as next month...
34/72 widening project in Jackson to close section of Farmington Road (06/06/05)
Farmington Road at the intersection of West Jackson Boulevard will be closed beginning today as work continues on the Highway 34/72 widening project in Jackson. Farmington is a fairly busy residential street that many residents use to cut over from Highway 34/72 to Main Street or Route D...
Residents ready to sacrifice for better highway (06/03/05)
People living along Highway 34 around Burfordville may have some significant inconveniences when plans are finalized and construction begins for improvements along that road, but many of them see it as a necessary sacrifice. Don and Sharon McCarty may end up having to move as a result of proposed improvements to Highway 34 in the Burfordville area, but they aren't angry...
MoDOT proceeding with Center Junction lighting project (05/27/05)
Center Junction will soon be under lights while Jackson officials hope MoDOT will light up even more of the city in the coming years. The Missouri Department of Transportation accepted bids on the project this week, the lowest coming in at $201,784...
MoDOT anticipates record construction (05/25/05)
Missouri motorists won't have any trouble finding a highway work zone this summer. "This summer we will literally have a thousand work zones," Missouri Transportation Department director Pete Rahn said during a visit to Cape Girardeau Tuesday. "That's an unprecedented level of construction in the state."...
Business owners seek signage from MoDOT (05/24/05)
More concerns about access on the West Jackson Boulevard widening project surfaced Monday as business owners complained about the design's lack of signs granting permission for U-turns. Ever since the Missouri Department of Transportation unveiled a limited access corridor -- one that came with a median instead of continuous left-turn lanes -- there has been tension between property owners and MoDOT...
Cape project will close shortcut around Kingshighway traffic (05/23/05)
Motorists regularly use Kingsway Drive as a shortcut to Cape Rock Drive and a way around the traffic congestion on Kingshighway. But an $86,000 construction project this summer will eliminate the shortcut while widening Kingshighway to provide a right-turn lane...
Oklahoma Street closing due to road work project (05/20/05)
Oklahoma Street in Jackson will be closed at its intersection with Highway 34/72 today, weather permitting, because of road work, Missouri Transportation Department officials said. Crews are doing asphalt paving in connection with the widening of the state highway, a project that is expected to continue through the summer and into the fall. Motorists are urged to use alternate routes, MoDOT officials said...
Divided commission recommends status quo on Main Street (05/12/05)
A divided Cape Girardeau planning and zoning commission Wednesday recommended downtown Main Street remain one way southbound, citing frustration over the fact that downtown merchants couldn't agree on a traffic plan. The commission followed the recommendation of a six-member committee of planning commissioners and downtown merchants. The vote was 7-2 to forward the recommendation to the city council, which has the final decision...
Road work begins to add access to schools (05/12/05)
One of two northbound lanes on south Kingshighway will be closed to traffic starting today, weather permitting, as construction proceeds on the Silver Springs Road intersection project, state highway officials said. Missouri Department of Transportation officials said this will be the first in a series of lane closures that will occur over the next several months on the busy north-south highway as a result of the construction project...
MoDOT finishes key step in road project (05/07/05)
Missouri Department of Transportation officials have taken another step in the long-range plans to improve Highway 34 between U.S. 60 and Jackson. An engineering and consulting firm hired by MoDOT has wrapped up a draft environmental impact statement on the 85-mile stretch. The report concludes about five years of study...
Work begun to transform Water Street (05/07/05)
Construction crews will transform Cape Girardeau's Water Street into a scenic one-way road for tourists visiting the colorful floodwall mural, but the initial construction work involves water lines, not aesthetics. Workers with Alliance Water Resources, the company that operates the city's water system, are tearing up the pavement and installing two water lines: a 12-inch line to boost water pressure downtown and a 20-inch pipe...
Committee recommends keeping Main Street one way (05/05/05)
Main Street would stay a one-way, southbound street in downtown Cape Girardeau if a city planning committee gets its way. The committee also recommended Wednesday night that Water Street be turned into a one-way southbound road, meaning that there will be two parallel southbound, downtown streets within a block of each other...
Delays may put interchange off for another year (05/05/05)
As a deadline approaches that would put the East Main Street Interstate 55 interchange construction off for another year, the negotiating parties continue to tug and pull at each other over property acquisition. Since January, Jackson city officials have said an intergovernmental agreement was only a couple weeks away from becoming official...
Broadway tightens up as construction starts (05/04/05)
Motorists could find it a tight squeeze on Broadway early Thursday as work begins to widen a two-block section of the busy Cape Girardeau street and revamp the Henderson Avenue intersection. But city and Southeast Missouri State University officials insist there's enough room to handle the temporary traffic changes...
Lighting the way (05/03/05)
Motorists may see red over a national study that gives low marks to the nation's traffic signals, but officials with the city of Cape Girardeau and the Missouri Department of Transportation say their lights aren't the problem. Outdated and inefficient traffic signals force commuters to sit in traffic congestion, waste gasoline and pollute the air, according to the Institute of Transportation Engineers in Washington, D.C...
Jackson to decide on plan for new road cash (04/04/05)
The Jackson Board of Aldermen and city officials have found themselves holding a $150,000 pot of money, thanks to a road and bridge tax settlement with Cape Girardeau County. This $150,000 is taxpayer money, funds that have come out of property and real estate taxes from the residents of Jackson. It must go toward road and bridge improvements in the city...
Cape council approves transportation measures (03/22/05)
Better roads. Better air service. The Cape Girardeau City Council showed support for those two goals in approving three different measures at Monday night's meeting. The council approved an agreement with the Missouri Department of Transportation for resurfacing Kingshighway. The construction of a right-turn lane at Kingshighway and Cape Rock Drive will be part of the state-funded project...
34/72 project makes visible progress (03/09/05)
Construction crews have recently made noticeable progress on certain parts of the $5.2 million Highway 34/72 widening project in Jackson. The most obvious sign of work is the concrete that has been poured on the bridge over Hubble Creek. Paul Koeper, the vice president of Penzel Construction, said the northern section of the bridge should be opened as a bypass in the middle of next month...
Cape's P&Z commissioners settle on street name change (03/09/05)
Cape Girardeau city officials don't want a proposed $3 million street project to start off with a bad name before voters even approve the project. So it's out with Coker Road and in with LaSalle Avenue for a major east-west street that will provide a new entrance into the city from Interstate 55...
P&Z: If Water Street goes one way, Main Street must be changed (02/24/05)
Nearly a year after the issue was first discussed, the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission finally took action Wednesday night on the issue of making Water Street one way. It was only a tentative step, however, as other issues, such as what to do with Main Street, must still be decided...
Cape fuel tax money won't go toward airport, bus projects (02/23/05)
The Cape Girardeau City Council won't tap into motor fuel tax money to help fund airport projects. The state constitution won't allow it, city officials said Tuesday. The council also won't seek to fund transit buses with transportation sales tax money. ...
City fuel tax money may go to airport upgrades (02/18/05)
Cape Girardeau should use some of its motor fuel tax money to help fund airport improvements designed to boost boardings and secure more federal dollars, Mayor Jay Knudtson suggested Thursday. The city, he said, needs to look to make the best use of the $1.4 million in motor fuel tax money it receives annually...
MoDOT starts to narrow statewide projects (02/16/05)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State transportation officials from throughout Missouri set to work Tuesday whittling a list of more than $3 billion worth of highway improvements identified as regional priorities to a $1.3 billion roster. Of the 59 projects under consideration for funding between 2006 and 2010, seven are in Southeast Missouri. Those projects carry a combined estimated cost of $230.5 million...
Commission reviews latest proposal for Water Street (02/10/05)
A plan to turn Water Street into a one-way southbound road along the Cape Girardeau riverfront needs more study, planning and zoning commissioners said Wednesday night. "The last thing you want to do is make it too confusing," said commission chairman Skip Smallwood...
Southeast will widen Broadway under agreement with council (02/08/05)
A section of busy, two-lane Broadway that has long been a traffic bottleneck will be widened this year under an agreement between the city of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University that will speed up the estimated $1.3 million construction project...
Commission awards Silver Springs Road contract (02/03/05)
The state highway commission awarded a $1 million contract Wednesday to Lappe Cement Finishing Inc. of Perryville, Mo., to construct a new Silver Springs Road intersection at South Kingshighway and add traffic signals. But it's the city of Cape Girardeau that will pay the bulk of the cost...
Jackson, Cape join on plans for roads (01/23/05)
Cape Girardeau and Jackson city councils will consider endorsing three proposed state highway projects when they hold a joint meeting Monday night. Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson and Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said the councils hope to convince the Missouri Department of Transportation to widen Interstate 55 from Scott City to Fruitland, improve U.S. 61 from Fruitland to Jackson and Highway 25 from Jackson to Dutchtown...
MoDOT plans to resurface part of U.S. 61 in Scott Co. (01/20/05)
In one of its latest rounds of road projects, the Missouri Department of Transportation has announced it will resurface 12.6 miles of U.S. 61 from Scott City to Highway 77 at Morley. The project is one of many MoDOT has scheduled for Southeast Missouri, and is designed to maintain existing roadways in need of resurfacing...
Panel approves $600 million in road projects across state (01/15/05)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri transportation officials approved more than $600 million in road projects Friday. The work includes more than 100 projects, worth $200 million, of repaving, striping and other safety improvements as part of the Missouri Department of Transportation's Smooth Roads Initiative...
Mayor - Cape must address Lexington Ave. bottleneck (01/10/05)
Traffic congestion has made the Lexington Avenue/Route W intersection a driver's nightmare and sparked frustration from Cape Girardeau's mayor. "I am at this point sick and tired of defending it to citizens because I can't," Mayor Jay Knudtson said. "I feel it is a terribly cumbersome and confusing interchange that we are asking citizens to navigate through. We need to do something about it."...
Road crews filling potholes after snow (01/05/05)
Potholes have turned some area roads into bone-jarring obstacle courses in the aftermath of the December snowstorm, prompting city and state road crews to patch pavement this week. "The taxpayer deserves to not have to hit potholes," said Missouri Department of Transportation district engineer Scott Meyer. "But we can't be everywhere at once. That is the problem."...
Cape council receives recommendations for road repair (01/04/05)
Cape Girardeau would benefit from $20.3 million in new and improved roads if voters extend the half-cent transportation sales tax, planning and zoning commission representatives told the city council Monday night. The formal presentation included a list of nine road projects in addition to the paving of existing streets and building and repairing sidewalks over a five-year period, beginning in 2006 and ending in 2010...
Jackson readies road project wish list (12/16/04)
The city of Jackson recently started planning how to spend road and bridge tax revenue that is still tied up in court. City officials brought some ideas to the Jackson Board of Aldermen, and the council discussed the issue at Monday night's study session...
State aims new funds at 57 road projects (12/11/04)
State transportation commissioners on Friday approved the expenditure of $159 million on 57 road projects, including seven in Southeast Missouri -- the first beneficiaries of a funding plan approved by voters in November. The project list marks the first phase of the transportation department's "smooth roads" initiative that eventually will spend about $400 million on repaving, striping and other road safety improvements during the next three years...
SEMO joins Cape in street project (12/11/04)
Southeast Missouri State University plans to take advantage of Cape Girardeau's Broadway widening project to dress up the Broadway-Henderson Avenue entrance to the campus with improved parking, green space and monument signs designating the school...
Kingshighway to brighten up with 61 new street lights (12/10/04)
Even headlights aren't enough to light up the darkened outskirts of Cape Girardeau along North Kingshighway as motorists head into the city at night. But that should change by early next year as the city completes a $177,000 project to install 61 street lights along 1.4 miles of Kingshighway from Interstate 55 to the south entrance of Boulder Crest. The route borders two county parks, the veterans home and Memorial Park Cemetery...
MoDOT listens to Route AB concerns (12/10/04)
Before the Missouri Department of Transportation submits a final plan to move Route AB, officials from that agency want to hear what the people who will drive on it have to say. In 90 minutes time Thursday afternoon, about 60 people came to the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to discuss the project, said Eric Krapf, project engineer from Sikeston, Mo ...
P&Z lays out 9 new Cape road projects (12/09/04)
The city would widen sections of Mount Auburn Road, Bloomfield Road and South Sprigg Street, as well as improve the Kingshighway-Cape Rock Drive intersection and extend Fountain Street as part of a $20.3 million road improvements plan that would take voter approval to fund...
Paving company offers asphalt deal to Jackson (12/09/04)
Farmington Road north of Route D was set for a barber-shop haircut. What it will get instead is a complete surface makeover. Thanks to a sweet deal offered by Delta Asphalt, the motorists who use the collector street every day will get a long-term solution to the pothole problem...
Region prepares roadway 'wish list' for MoDOT (12/08/04)
A Southeast Missouri planning committee wants the Missouri Department of Transportation to add seven road and bridge projects in Cape Girardeau County to the state's rolling, five-year transportation plan. Heading the list is a new two-lane route west of Interstate 55 that would extend from Highway 74 north to Route K and west through Gordonville to Highway 34...
Off the beaten paths (12/08/04)
The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority is a rugged place. Eighteen-wheelers hum, dump and rumble to the eclectic rhythm of agriculture, industry and transportation. The men who operate the trucks or help load and unload raw materials are blue-jean guys who wear steel-toed boots, ballcaps and three-day beards...
Broadway widening would cost two homes (12/07/04)
The Cape Girardeau City Council voted Monday to proceed with plans to widen Broadway between Perry Avenue and Houck Place despite opposition from a woman who said she didn't want to lose her home and art studio to the road project. Lauren Tracy told the council she doesn't want to leave the brick home at 1310 Broadway. Tracy said she bought the house just east of the Hardee's restaurant two years ago...
MoDOT seeks input on Route AB project (11/23/04)
The extension would increase access to industries on the road. By Bob Miller ~ Southeast Missourian The plan for a new paved corridor from Highway 25 to Interstate 55 is ready for public consumption. The Missouri Department of Transportation has invited the public to review its latest big-project-in-the-making, a 3.5-mile extension of Route AB in southern Cape Girardeau County to Highway 25 at Blomeyer...
Remodeling of Route K is complete (11/20/04)
It's a lot easier to get into Westfield Shoppingtown West Park, and Route K is not nearly so congested leaving the stores and businesses on Siemers Drive. Work that began just after Labor Day to widen Route K is now finished. Stan Johnson, area engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, said that Route K now has two left turn lanes going into Mount Auburn Road from both directions. ...
MoDOT seeks to improve 2,200 busiest miles of road (11/17/04)
Sections of three major highways in Southeast Missouri will be resurfaced under the Missouri Department of Transportation's "smooth roads" program, but exact locations for such roadwork haven't been determined, MoDOT officials said Tuesday. MoDOT plans to spend $400 million over the next three years to put a smooth surface and safety features on the state's 2,200 busiest miles of highway...
Cape city council OK's plan for Bloomfield Road (11/16/04)
A wider Bloomfield Road will come within 4 1/2 feet of a 64-year-old stone wall bordering a residence that was formerly a rural school building. The Cape Girardeau City Council approved the design plan for the estimated $1.79 million project on a 5-1 vote despite opposition from Jane Cox, owner of the former Campster schoolhouse in the 3800 block of Bloomfield Road. She said she feared speeding motorists would crash into the wall and damage it...
Increasing the flow of traffic (11/17/04)
Construction crews are close to finishing major improvements near Interstate 55 and William Street. The $1 million project could be finished before Thanksgiving, said Missouri Department of Transportation district engineer Scott Meyer. "It is rapidly wrapping up," he said. "We are trying to get out before the Christmas rush."...
Council to discuss widening Bloomfield (11/15/04)
More than five months after Cape Girardeau opened a new, wider Bloomfield Road bridge west of Interstate 55, city officials are still laboring over design plans to widen the road on both sides of the span. The city council is expected to discuss the design plans at tonight's council meeting and authorize city staff to acquire the necessary right of way to improve a 3,450-foot stretch of street from Siemers Drive to Stonebridge Drive...
House committee hears four-lane needs in Poplar Bluff (11/12/04)
Daily American Republic POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Five members of the Missouri House interim transportation committee came to Poplar Bluff to listen Tuesday and they heard plenty from those who want Highway 67 four-laned as soon as possible. "We learned U.S. 67 is very important to this community," said Rep. Neal St. Onge of Ballwin, who was making his first visit to Poplar Bluff...
P and Z stuck on Fountain Street project (11/11/04)
Cape Girardeau's planning and zoning commission remains stuck in debate over the proposed design for extending Fountain Street and how much it would cost to build. Smith & Co., a Poplar Bluff, Mo., engineering firm, estimates it would cost more than $1.23 million to build a decorative, divided boulevard with a brick-paved roadway and roundabouts at three downtown intersections. ...
Jackson aldermen OK street repair program (11/04/04)
Jackson residents may see even more construction crews in the next few days as the city has approved its latest asphalt improvement program. The board of aldermen on Monday night accepted a $107,526 bid from the Apex Paving Co. This is in addition to the Missouri Department of Transportation's major widening project that is under construction on West Jackson Boulevard...
Committee scraps plan for street near federal courthouse