Jackson Aldermen approve construction of East Main Street/Shawnee Boulevard roundabout

Motorists planning to use East Main Street in Jackson to access Interstate 55 next spring to avoid highway construction at the I-55/U.S. 61 interchange could face major road construction on that route as well, at least for a few weeks.

The Jackson Board of Aldermen on Monday night gave its approval to build a roundabout at the intersection of East Main Street and Shawnee Boulevard, which currently has a four-way stop. City officials say a roundabout at the intersection will improve traffic flow, especially when additional motorists use East Main Street to reach the I-55 interchange at Exit 102.

Four bids were received for the roundabout project with the lowest coming from Lappe Cement Finishing Inc. of Friedheim in the amount of $738,999.21, well below the estimated project cost of more than $875,000. The aldermen accepted the Lappe bid and authorized a contract for the work, which is to be completed within 240 calendar days of the contract issuance.

The proposed timeline for the roundabout project means it could still be under construction after the Missouri Department of Transportation starts its redesign project next spring at the I-55/U.S. 61 interchange, commonly referred to as Center Junction, between Jackson and Cape Girardeau. MoDOT is scheduled to open bids for the Center Junction project in December and a contract for that project could be awarded in January. MoDOT officials say the Center Junction project, which will require temporary closure of interstate access and exit ramps north of U.S. 61, could start as early as March or April 2020, forcing motorists to use alternate routes onto and off of the interstate, such as the East Main Street interchange at Exit 102.

In August, the Jackson aldermen considered postponing roundabout construction until after the interstate ramps at Center Junction reopened, but they subsequently decided to try to get as much of the work done as quickly as possible before the Center Junction work begins.

Jackson staff engineer Clint Brown said the city hopes to minimize inconvenience resulting from the roundabout construction and said it could be possible to accelerate the project if winter weather allows.

“Of course, weather is always a consideration on any project,” he said.

In a related matter that came up during their study session Monday night, the aldermen discussed the possibility of temporarily repealing the truck route designation on East Main Street during the Center Junction construction project.

“In the interest of public safety and the stability of our local roadway pavements, the city would like for trucks to use alternate routes, Highway 61 North, for example, during construction of the diverging diamond interchange (at Center Junction),” Jackson administrative services director Rodney Bollinger told the Southeast Missourian before Monday night’s meeting. “Then, when Center Junction reopens at the end of 2021, the truck route will likely be reestablished on East Main Street.

Other business

In addition to accepting the roundabout construction bid and authorizing its construction, the Jackson aldermen took the following actions during their regular meeting Monday night:

• Held a public hearing and approved a special-use permit request for a new property owner for an existing communications tower at 2705 Hilltop Drive, as submitted by Wicks Properties LLC.
• Approved a task order in the amount of $44,000 to Blakely & Associates Consulting Engineers of Chillicothe, Missouri, related to upgrades to the Jackson power plant’s SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system that controls and monitors the overall performance of Jackson’s electric grid.
• Approved a motion to accept a $15,356 bid from Nip Kelley Equipment Co. of Cape Girardeau related to an electrical improvement project and authorized the city to enter into a contract for the work.

The aldermen were also told Monday night the U.S. Department of the Interior has awarded two matching grants for outdoor recreation projects through the department’s Land and Water Conservation Fund. The grants include $80,000 to go toward a $160,000 Brookside Park ballfield development project and $45,000 to the Jackson School District as part of a $90,000 walking and recreation trail at Jackson Middle School.