I-55 INTERCHANGE EXPECTED TO BOOST MINER ECONOMY

MINER -- The new Interstate 55/State Route HH interchange opening at 10 a.m. today at the northern boundary of Miner in Scott County is creating excitement in the town of 1,200.

"We did hit the jackpot," says Missy Marshall, who became the city's first administrator on Monday.

The interchange is located about a mile north of the existing Miner-Sikeston interchange. It connects with east-west State Route HH, which was bisected when the interstate was built in the 1960s. The work also opens up north-south State Route H, which intersects with State Route HH.

The work included grading and paving .7 mile of Route HH, improving the Route HH and Route H intersection and constructing the I-55 overpass and access ramps.

Development along the state route currently is primarily residential but Marshall says one business is near to closing a deal to located near the interchange. Others reportedly are very interested.

"It gives us one more opportunity to snag business off the interstate," Marshall said.

The businesses located at the existing interchange to the south also are located in the Miner city limits. The town already has a number of motels and the outlet mall within its limits.

"Miner is experiencing lots of growth," Marshall says.

The $4.6 million interchange also is expected to help Sikeston and Scott County, both with traffic congestion and economically.

One reason it was built was to relieve some of the traffic pressure from Malone Avenue, which the existing interchange feeds.

Miner, Sikeston and Scott County formed a Joint Transportation Board to accelerate construction of the interchange. They are paying the interest on the construction costs million for the three years the project was advanced. That is a total cost of about $180,000 to the three entities, which they expect to recoup in sales taxes.

"We could see the benefit of having that put in," said Steve Borgmiller, Sikeston's city manager. "It opens up another avenue to go east and west in the county."

Borgmiller said the interchange was envisioned when the interstate was built but never got the green light.

"Various groups have been imploring, pleading and cajoling with the Missouri Highway Commission to get it put in place," he said. "It opens up an entire new area."

Previously, I-55 between Benton and the existing interchange constituted the longest stretch of interstate without an exit ramp between St. Louis and the Arkansas line, according to Borgmiller.

The contractor's crews will remain in the area to finish some signage and touch-up work on the slopes next to the interchange, according to MoDOT.