COUNTY TO RANK I-55 SITES

JACKSON -- The Cape Girardeau County Commission unofficially decided to rank possible Interstate 55 interchanges at Oak Ridge and Jackson. It will submit its findings to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.

The decision followed a meeting Thursday with Highway Department District 10 Engineer Jim Murray, who had originally requested the county commission's input.

At first, commissioners declined to be involved with the two proposals, concerned that suggesting priorities would be a political move.

But Highway Commissioner John Oliver, who didn't attend the meeting, said prioritization may be the wrong word for the county commission's task. He wants officials to tell the highway commission what project it thinks would be best for the area's economy.

Oak Ridge leaders contend an interchange at I-55 and Route E was planned from the beginning but didn't get completed.

Jackson Mayor Paul Sander has said he doesn't have any objection to Oak Ridge getting its interchange, but Jackson needs one connecting the uncompleted East Main extension with the interstate.

Cape Girardeau City Planner Kent Bratton said Cape's roads eventually would connect with East Main on the other side of the interchange.

Jackson already has invested about $250,000 in the East Main extension project, which would have limited worth without an interchange. The interchange itself, not including right of way, will cost an estimated $4 million.

Because Route E already runs over the interstate near Oak Ridge, that project would cost $2 million, including right of way.

Murray said it wasn't unusual for the highway commission to seek input from county government, but it was the county commission's prerogative to decline comment.

"I don't know how the highway commission would react to that," he said. "There are six members of the commission, and they all have an equal vote."

The establishing a priority process, the presiding county commissioner, Gerald Jones, said, would involve public hearings, traffic counts, long-range development potential determination and other tasks. Although the highway commission is close to awarding a bid on a large-scale study of area transportation routes, Jones said he may not want to wait that long to make a recommendation.

"I don't want something to fall off the wagon because we wanted to wait around for the study," he said.

After the meeting with Murray, county commissioners revealed public comments received from Oak Ridge residents indicated some don't want an interchange. Commissioner Joe Gambill has received only one call on the issue, and the caller was opposed to the interchange.

Jones received six calls about the Route E interchange -- one for, five against. He hasn't received any input about the proposed Jackson interchange except from city officials.