MoDOT plans to ease traffic congestion

William Street near I-55 in Cape to be improved

Business Today

The Missouri Department of Transportation expects to spend more than $1 million improving William Street between Siemers Drive and Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, an area of the city home to hundreds of medical offices, retail stores, restaurants and hotels.

William Street near Interstate 55 is one of the region's busiest commercial streets. MoDOT plans call for much of the construction to be done at night and for extensive communication with affected businesses.

When finished, highway officials said, the project should ease traffic congestion and improve safety.

Construction could begin as early as July 26 with work to be completed by Nov. 15, state highway officials said.

The project includes:

# Construction of another left-turn lane for eastbound traffic turning north onto Mount Auburn Road, resulting in two left turn lanes.

# Adding a right-turn lane on the south side of William Street from the I-55 northbound off-ramp to Mount Auburn Road.

# Installing traffic signals at Farrar Drive and William Street.

# Erecting overhead signs to help steer westbound motorists into the proper lanes for southbound I-55, Siemers Drive and Route K traffic. William Street becomes Route K as the roadway leaves city limits.

# Connecting traffic signals from Siemers to Silver Springs Road with fiber optic cable for better coordination of the signal lights.

This will be the first such fiber optic traffic signal system in Southeast Missouri, according to MoDOT's regional office in Sikeston.

Some of the construction work will be done between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. under construction floodlights to avoid any lengthy lane closures.

Highway officials said the goal is to get the work done before construction is completed on the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites on the southwest corner of William Street and Mount Auburn Road. The new hotel is expected to be open by next spring.