Last year, Missouri Department of Transportation crews made significant improvements to state roadways throughout Franklin and Jefferson Counties. Many of the projects had to do with improving overall safety.
“We’ve made some extensive improvements to our interchanges along busy routes and replaced important bridges to help improve safety and traffic congestion for motorists' commutes," said Judy Wagner, MoDOT’s Area Engineer for Franklin and Jefferson Counties.
Specific projects included:
- Route 100 Bridge over Interstate 44: MoDOT crews built a new bridge between Gray Summit and Missouri Route 100 (Washington exit) to replace the narrow and aging structure.
- Route 100 Resurfacing: MoDOT crews resurfaced the pavement for a smoother driving surface on Route 100 from Route KK in Franklin County to Hermann in Gasconade County. Edgeline rumble strips were also added on Route 100 from Route KK to the eastern side of New Haven to improve safety for motorists. Sidewalks in New Haven were improved to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Route 30 Safety Improvements: MoDOT crews made several safety improvements on Route 30 from the St. Louis County line to Routes B/NN in Jefferson County. They include, acceleration and deceleration lanes, off-set turn lanes, intersection lighting and signal modifications. MoDOT opened and completed the crossover work on this corridor that will increase safety and improve traffic flow. A travel time system is currently under construction, and is expected to be complete by May 2013.
- Route 47 Resurfacing: MoDOT crews resurfaced the pavement on Route 47 from the Missouri River Bridge in Franklin County to south of Route 100 for a smoother driving surface. Also, the sidewalks in this area were improved to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Right turn movements at the Route 47 and Route 100 intersection were modified to reduce right angle crashes.MoDOT also completed pavement repairs and resurfaced portions of the pavement on Route 100 from Route KK to Washington Heights Drive (east of Route 47).
- I-55 and McNutt Road: MoDOT crews completed the McNutt Road widening between Interstate 55 and Routes 61/67 including a new McNutt Road/Herculaneum Crossing intersection to accommodate the amount of traffic that uses this roadway on a daily basis.
- I-55 over BNSF Railroad: MoDOT crews built a new bridge that is wide enough to accommodate the future growth and expansion of I-55. This new and wider bridge carries northbound and southbound traffic on Interstate 55 between Herculaneum and Festus. This bridge project is part of the Safe and Sound program with 802 bridges repaired or replaced before 2013.
- I-55 at Route M Interchange Improvements: MoDOT made several improvements to this interchange by constructing new ramps. The existing exit ramp from northbound Interstate 55 to Route M has been removed and replaced with dual entrance and exit (loop) ramps from Route M to northbound I-55. The additional ramps are now open and will increase safety and improve traffic flow at this interchange. Remaining work in this area is expected to be complete by late May 2013.
Wagner said more projects in 2013 will include widening Route 100 from Route 47 to High Street in Washington; resurfacing Route 141 from I-55 to Routes 61/67; and resurfacing Route A from I-55 to Routes 61/67 in Festus.
“We will also be focusing on improving our minor roads, such as making some curve improvements and adding shoulders where possible on Routes W and FF in Jefferson County. We will also perform bridge rehabilitation work on Route H over Big River. We’ll be talking to residents and commuters throughout the area over the next few months to see what transportation improvements they feel are needed to keep them on the move for the future,' she said.
