Easing traffic in Scott City: First phase of project begun

BENTON, Mo. -- The first phase of a project to relieve traffic congestion in Scott City is underway, and Scott County commissioners now have a better grasp of the timeline for future projects.

During their Thursday meeting, Eric Krapf, a project manager with the Missouri Department of Transportation, presented commissioners with drawings of plans for the project's second phase and updated them on first-phase progress and third-phase plans.

"We've been working to try to help with congestion problems in Scott City for the past couple of years," Krapf said. After several public meetings and hearings to survey needs and opinions, MoDOT has come up with a three-phase plan to address issues, he said.

The first phase is adding more turn lanes to U.S. 61 and Route K in Scott City.

"The whole idea is that you can get more people through the signals on the available green time that you have with these lanes," he said. "We think that's going to greatly reduce congestion at peak times."

Work began recently and is scheduled to be completed before school is back in session. Total cost for the phase is slightly more than $200,000, Krapf said.

The second phase is the Ramsey Creek Bridge project, which would give the city a north-south connector between routes K and AB.

"There are several ways to get out of Scott City along this new connection," Krapf said.

Krapf said MoDOT plans to begin acquiring the needed rights of way toward the end of the summer, when fiscal year 2010 begins, and have it all acquired by the end of the calendar year. By January MoDOT wants to have the contract out for bids and begin construction soon after. A total estimate for phase two is about $5 million.

Thus far, Kelso and Scott City residents are happy about the project, he said. Two homes would be affected by the work, and both homeowners appear to be on board.

"This is a project we haven't encountered any opposition to," Krapf said. "We're just really looking forward to getting it done."

"I know our impact is going to be very minimal to the public," Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said of the project.

Phases one and two will be funded by federal earmarks that have been secured for some time, with Scott City pitching in to help pay for phase one, Krapf said.

The third phase is to add a southern interchange.

"It would be south of the existing Scott City interchange, likely with an outer road connecting it," Krapf said. "We will likely have to have an extensive location study process."

There is currently no funding for that phase, he said.

Commissioners said the changes will open up the area as a location for businesses.

"I think it would become the next Jackson over a period of time," Burger said.

Commissioner Donnie Kiefer agreed, and said he's heard several positive comments about the work.

"I'm ready to get it completed and I'm ready to get that southern exchange," Burger said. "I think it's just something that we need."