Transportation improvements keep moving forward

~Jackson getting I-55 interchange; Cape initiates public transit service

Interstates, highways, an airline, buses, vans, taxis and river boats are modes of transportation readily available in the region, which is a hub of mobility between the major metropolitan areas of St. Louis and Memphis. Railroads are also part of the transportation scene, but for commercial use only. For railroad passengers, there is an Amtrak station at Carbondale, Ill., about 45 miles to the east.

Cape Girardeau, located along Interstate 55, is also served by Missouri highways 61, 74 and 177, and Illinois highways 146 and 3. The heavily traveled I-55 also runs along Jackson, Fruitland, Oak Ridge and Perryville to the north, and Scott City and Sikeston to the south. It is the main thoroughfare between St. Louis and Memphis. At Sikeston, Interstate 57 heads east to Cairo, Ill., then north to Chicago. Also at Sikeston, U.S. Highway 60 heads west toward Dexter and Poplar Bluff.

Central location

Smooth access to transportation melded with the Cape Girardeau area's centralized location provides great opportunity for cost-effective shipment of goods and commodities throughout the country.

A shimmering, four-lane, cable-stayed, state-of-the-art $100 million bridge opened in December 2003 just south of the bridge that connected Cape Girardeau and East Cape Girardeau in Illinois since 1927. The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is 100 feet wide, 4,000 feet long and elegantly spans the Mississippi River. At night, the bridge is illuminated by 140 bright lights. It has become a very visible landmark.

The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge towers above Cape Girardeau's historical downtown Main Street.

Several years ago, a new Highway 74 was built in stages and now connects I-55 with the new bridge. Fountain Street, built of decorative pavestone, allows bridge traffic to exit into downtown Cape at the corner where the university's River Campus is being built.

New interchange

By the end of 2007, construction should be complete on an $8 million interchange that will connect Jackson to I-55. Work began last year on extending East Main Street to the interstate where it will connect on the west side near mile marker 102. East Main Street will then continue under the interstate where it will connect on the east side via a new roadway.

Not too long ago, an on-ramp and off-ramp were built south of the Route K interchange with I-55. They tie in with Highway 74 and give greater access to Cape West Business Park, which is located along Siemers Drive west of I-55. Siemers Drive has been widened several times to accommodate more traffic in the busy retail and commercial district.

Six years ago a new I-55 interchange opened just north of Jackson at Fruitland. It helps expedite traffic to and from Procter & Gamble, a major employer in north Cape Girardeau County.

Five years ago a new interchange opened north of Fruitland at Oak Ridge.

An interchange was built just north of Sikeston in 2000. The ramps connect to Route H and give better access to the Sikeston Business and Technology Park.

Flying high

The region is also well served by the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. The airport is located five miles southwest of the city off I-55. It is owned and operated by the city. The airport has a flight control tower and is the only all-weather airport along the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Memphis. There are two runways -- 6,500 feet and 4,000 feet. The phone number is 334-6230.

American Connection, affiliated with American Airlines, serves the airport. The airline provides passenger, mail and air cargo service from the airport with four flights per day, Monday through Friday, and two flights on Saturday and Sunday. Flights are to and from St. Louis. The number is 335-9381.

Cape Aviation is the fixed-based operator at the airport and provides maintenance and fuel sales. It is undergoing a $300,000 renovation that should be completed by the end of 2006.

"It's the gateway to Cape Girardeau for our recreational pilots and visiting pilots," said airport manager Bruce Loy, adding the fixed-base operation is in a hangar just south of the airport terminal. The renovation project calls for improvements in the lobby, general reception and pilot areas.

More services at the airport are offered by Cape Air Charter, which provides private and commercial pilot training, air freight and passenger charters, and aircraft sales. Cape Air Charter also helps arrange ground transportation, and hotel and dinner reservations for out-of-town guests. The number is 335-6631.

Rental cars are available at the airport through National and Hertz.

Transit authority

In July 2006, the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority began operating a public transit system that includes a bus route through Cape Girardeau, vans for riders requiring point-to-point service and a courier service, all included as part of a $360,000 purchase of Kelley Transportation Co.

The bus route runs the length of Broadway in Cape Girardeau, loops west through shopping and medical service areas and returns via a run through residential areas south of the center of the city. The buses hold 12 passengers. Currently, regular fares are $1.50 with a discounted fare of 75 cents for senior citizens and the disabled. Buses operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Monthly bus passes can be purchased at the Transit Authority office at 937 Broadway. The phone number is 335-5533.

Other transportation

A taxi service, Yellow Cab Co., at 41 N. Sprigg in Cape Girardeau serves the area. The number is 335-5533. Car rental and leasing firms include A&A Auto-Van-Truck, Approved Auto Sales, Budget Rent-A-Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz Local Edition.

Limousine services are available from A-1 Limo Service, Rogers Limousine Service and River City Limousine Service.

Van shuttles from Cape Girardeau and other area cities to Lambert Airport in St. Louis are provided by Bootheel Area Rapid Transport (BART). There are 19 vans in its transportation fleet. Eight vans work out of the Cape Girardeau area, six provide shuttle service between Carbondale, Ill., and St. Louis, and five operate out of Springfield, Ill.

Located at 2900 Kage Road in Cape Girardeau, BART dispatches all its vans from the Cape office with pick-up points in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Sikeston, Perryville, Dexter, Charleston, Poplar Bluff in Missouri and Murphysboro, Carbondale, West Frankfort, Benton, Marion, Mount Vernon, Springfield and Decatur in Illinois. Call 335-0844 for more information.

Greyhound Bus Lines serves the region. There is no local ticket office, but there is a bus stop in front of the County Administration Building in uptown Jackson. Riders must pay the driver in cash to arrive at the next ticket sales location.