Highway 61 work in Jackson starts Monday

Morning rush hour traffic in Jackson Monday, Oct. 2, is expected to be out of the ordinary, thanks to the 6 a.m. launch of Route 61 improvements overseen by Missouri Department of Transportation and authorized by the state Highways and Transportation Commission.

The estimated 13-month project, which includes road closures, has a price tag of $7,086,940 will:

U.S. Route 61 bridge over Hubble Creek in Jackson is seen during morning rush hour traffic Friday, Sept. 29. The bridge is scheduled to be replaced during a 13-month construction project to begin Monday, Oct. 2 and overseen by Penzel Construction.Jeff Long

U.S. Route 61 bridge over Hubble Creek in Jackson is seen during morning rush hour traffic Friday, Sept. 29. The bridge is scheduled to be replaced during a 13-month construction project to begin Monday, Oct. 2 and overseen by Penzel Construction.Jeff Long

• replace the U.S. 61 bridge over Hubble Creek;
• add turn lanes at Route D (Farmington Road) and Mary Street;
• make pavement and sidewalk improvements on U.S. 61 from north of the uptown roundabout to Route D.

A city official had this advice for motorists navigating U.S. 61 as the work week begins.

"Plan your route and leave early. I think the first few days of the project will be rather chaotic and then (motorists) will settle in and adjust to the (disruption)," said Janet Sanders, director of Jackson's public works department, who said MoDOT has put up six digital signs in strategic locations to inform and guide drivers. "There are also signs on Interstate 55 to try to keep large truck traffic on that road to exit 99. Farmington Road is not a truck route; it's our detour but it's not for big trucks."

Phil Penzel is president of Jackson's Penzel Construction, the general contractor on the project.

"(The closure area) is from the corner of Hope and Washington streets to the North High Street entrance for the municipal pool and City Park," Penzel said. "That pool/park entrance will remain open as long as we can until the entrance is relocated. The road in front of First Presbyterian Church will remain open."

Penzel said major subcontractors on the job will be Cape Girardeau's KT Power Systems and Fronabarger Concreters of Oak Ridge.

MoDOT resident engineer Kevin Plott previously told the Southeast Missourian initial work to tear out existing pavement and relocate water, sewer and electric lines may take up to three weeks to finish.

"Paving and sidewalk work will follow in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements," Plott said. "The very last phase of the job will be replacing the U.S. 61 bridge near City Park over Hubble Creek."

Detours will be in place from Route D to Farmington Street for passenger vehicles, and tractor-trailers should detour to Exit 99 for deliveries to the county seat town.

Plott advised in order to access Fruitland or Highway 177 from Interstate 55, tractor-trailers should continue to take Exit 105.

"This construction will have an effect on Jackson parents who drive their children to school. Think about other options," Sanders said. "A child could ride the school bus; carpooling is an alternative and if feasible, a child may be able to walk to school."

Sanders also said signage reading "local traffic only" should be understood: "The phrase specifically refers to people who live in the closure area and not to residents who may live elsewhere in the municipality."

Completion of all work on U.S. 61 is expected by Nov. 1, 2024.

"This is MoDOT's job. They know how to keep traffic moving," Sanders said, adding the uptown roundabout near the U.S. Post Office will stay open for the project's duration.