Completion of Center Junction project delayed

"Dirt problems" have caused a minor delay in the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) project at Center Junction between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, pushing the project completion back by more than a week.

The project's general contractor, Penzel Construction of Jackson, had hoped to finish the $17.4 million interchange project at the junction of Interstate 55 and U.S. 61 by the end of next week. That would have been a full month ahead of the original completion deadline of Nov. 1.

However, a company spokesman said Monday the interchange will likely not be fully open to traffic until the week of Oct. 10.

"We had some problems with dirt that delayed us a week," said Howard Hemmann, Penzel's project manager. "Right now, I think we will start the DDI (traffic flow) the second week of October and will probably open up one lane of northbound I-55 about that same time."

The problem with the dirt, Hemmann explained, was some of it on the north and south ends of the new northbound bridge along I-55 had "too much moisture" in it to allow for final concrete pours on top of it. These concrete pours will connect either end of the northbound bridge to existing I-55 pavement.

"We finally got it resolved and they poured (the south side) Friday and Saturday," he said. "We still have one more pour to do, (but) we have to wait a few days to get strength on what was poured on Saturday so they can get trucks on it to pour the other side."

The project, which has included replacement of both northbound and southbound I-55 bridges over U.S. 61 and a complete redesign of the Center Junction interchange, began in early 2020.

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