EXPANDED OVERPASS WELCOME

Route K motorists received an early Christmas present last week. The expansion of the Route K bridge over Interstate 55 opened a week early, much to the delight of motorists and merchants.

The early opening was a goal of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department, which wanted all lanes open in time for the holiday shopping season. Some shoulder work remains to be done, and a signal will be added to Siemers Drive in the coming months, but at least all lanes are clear for now.

Construction on the bridge widening began last February. The bridge, heavily traveled by shoppers and commuters, was widened to seven lanes from four. Some of the lanes are designated as turn lanes onto the interstate ramps, and two eastbound and westbound lanes will allow faster flow of through traffic.

Earlier this year, highway officials had hoped the bridge project would be completed by late November. It then looked like the date would be pushed back to Dec. 8. Crews ran into trouble when they couldn't find any bedrock to use as footings for the bridge pillars. The footings had to be redesigned. But despite the setback, all lanes were cleared Tuesday. The contractor and crews deserve credit for completing the job on time.

Traffic patterns and the timing of signal lights will be evaluated for at least 21 days after they are operational to achieve the best traffic flow, according to highway department officials.

The $3.8 million project was badly needed to improve traffic flow through a busy area of town. This widened bridge is certainly a welcomed addition during a busy holiday season.