GUIDE AIMS TO HELP MOTORISTS

SIKESTON, Mo. -- With more than 50 road construction projects under way or getting ready to start in Southeast Missouri, the Missouri Department of Transportation has published a highway construction guide for motorists.

The 2000 Highway Construction Guide is available at area chambers of commerce and visitors bureaus or can be obtained by calling the MoDOT customer service division at (888) ASK-MODOT.

The guide shows a map of the District 10 region with numbers pinpointing the work. A guide lists the particular projects by county.

Some of the projects listed are continuations of work already begun, others are new projects slated for construction or resurfacing before fall. "Some of the projects may likely be complete" by the time motorists see the brochure, said Scott Meyer, district engineer with MoDOT in Sikeston.

MoDOT will close the bridge on Route A in Scott County July 25-26 for repairs. Motorists should take alternate routes while crews make the repairs. The area, which is about one mile west of the intersection of Route A and U.S. 61, will be marked with signs.

Several projects in Cape Girardeau County are part of an economic development effort with Procter & Gamble. Those projects include widening Highway 177 at its intersection with U.S. 61 in Fruitland, widening several side roads at Route W and Route J, and rebuilding the overpass at the Fruitland, Mo., interchange of U.S. 61 and Interstate 55.

Work on the I-55 bridge is about two or three weeks behind schedule but should be completed later this fall, said Bob Wilson, resident engineer in MoDOT's Jackson, Mo., office.

Wilson said he has been impressed with how motorists have handled the delays and single lanes across the bridge. There have been no significant accidents at the construction area, he said.

But construction crews weren't able to make the progress they had hoped for during the winter months, Wilson said. "There were just periods when they couldn't work."

The summer heat is often good for road construction. "When the farmers start complaining about how dry it is, then it's good construction weather," said Wilson.

Construction on the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge has resumed. Contractors have been bringing in equipment and doing some exploratory work near the middle of the Mississippi River.

But high waters earlier in the month meant that crews had to move from Pier 3 near the center of the proposed bridge site to the shore. Construction crews had anticipated the shift in work schedules that high water brings, Wilson said.

MoDOT still expects to complete the work by June 2003.

STAY ALERT

Safety tips for motorists traveling through highway construction areas:

* Pay close attention.

Signs and work zone flag men save lives.

* Turn on your headlights.

Workers and other motorists will be able to see you.

* Don't tailgate.

* Don't speed.

* Keep up with the traffic flow.

* Don't change lanes in the work zone.

* Minimize distractions.

Avoid changing radio stations or talking on cellular phones while driving in the work areas.

* Expect the unexpected.

Keep an eye out for workers and their equipment.

* Be patient.

Remember the work zone crews are working to improve future rides in the construction area.