Jackson seeks safety, accessibility for route

If you drive south from Rome on the main highway to the Italian port of Naples, you will cross an older highway that goes from Rome to Brindisi on the southern coast. The old road is straight as an arrow along this stretch. And, despite its age, parts of the 376-mile highway are still in use.

Theories about road construction have changed a lot since this old Roman highway was constructed. But few highways have held up to use and weather as well as this one. What makes it so remarkable is that construction on this particular Italian highway began more than 300 years before the birth of Christ.

Large, smooth blocks of lava -- a plentiful construction material in the area -- were laid on a stone foundation. Retaining walls were built along each side. And gutters for drainage carried away runoff from storms.

Nowadays, visitors to the Appian Way marvel at the ingenuity of the Roman builders who relied on the road for commerce. The highway connected Rome to seaports that were the gateway to Greece. Without this access, the Romans might still have conquered the world, but their lives wouldn't have been enhanced by imported necessities and luxuries.

So why has the Appian Way been mothballed? Why is Italy crisscrossed with modern new highways which, like those in this country and around the world, are in constant need of repair and reconstruction?

Despite the engineering marvel of the Appian Way, it doesn't meet modern highway needs. It's too narrow, for one thing. And it doesn't go where today's Italian trade centers are, for another.

There are some lessons to be learned from the Italians that would apply to highway construction just about anywhere, including Missouri.

One thing we know for sure is that today's highways aren't built the same way they were 50 years ago or even 25 years ago. That's why Scott Meyer, the district engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, is on solid ground when he points out how the evolution of highway construction affects every new project, including the proposed widening of Highway 34-72 through Jackson, Mo.

Over the years this project has been discussed, Jackson has indicated it wants to keep east-west traffic coming through town instead of bypassing the 30 businesses and 121 residences along the route of the widening project. For many, the pattern was set when the eastern portion of Jackson Boulevard was widened several years ago into a five-lane thoroughfare with the center lane providing left-turn access just about anywhere.

But now MoDOT's emphasis is on safety. Its plan for a four-lane highway with a median to prevent left turns except, for the most part, at intersections is clearly intended to make the route safe.

Jackson officials believe both the city's goal of access and the state's goal of safety can be accomplished without a no-turn median.

Perhaps. But both Jackson and MoDOT must keep one important consideration in mind: cost.

For now, discussions are continuing.