Jackson, landowners to meet regarding Center Junction makeover

Planned changes to the Interstate 55 interchange at Center Junction are moving ahead, and part of that process is an upcoming meeting between officials and landowners to review and potentially alter the original schematic.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will replace the Interstate 55 bridges over Highway 61 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson and redesign the entire interchange, Jason Williams, MoDOT project manager with the agency's Southeast District, told the Southeast Missourian in March.

The grassy median at Center Junction, near exit 99 on Interstate 55, would be eliminated, allowing for a narrower bridge span and a roadway setup known as a "diverging diamond" interchange.

With this design, the two directions of traffic on the non-freeway cross to the opposite side at the overpass.

Williams said this design benefits motorists, who would no longer have to cross in front of oncoming traffic to make left-hand turns.

"Minimal closures" are expected during construction, Williams said.

This construction is necessary because the bridges are aging.

According to the Southeast Missourian archives, the 600-foot bridge spans are nearly 50 years old.

The new bridges should each span about 200 feet, reducing the cost, Williams said.

Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs said the new interchange is a complex project that involves several interested parties, and he's organizing a meeting to take place within the next two weeks.

MoDOT has given its presentation to the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson, and to the Southeast Metropolitan Planning Organization (SEMPO), Hahs said, outlining how the interchange will work and how outer roads will be reorganized.

Now, the City of Jackson is asking for clarification on exactly what changes will be made, and possibly asking for some adjustments to those initial plans, Hahs said.

"We did the same thing with the roundabout," Hahs said, referring to the project at East Main Street and Highway 61 in Jackson that replaced a four-way stop.

"It's not the way it looked initially," Hahs said. "There were not a lot of changes, but some were driven by landowners around the roundabout."

And Hahs wants to have a meeting between MoDOT, the Center Junction landowners and the city.

"From the City of Jackson's standpoint, our interest is probably driven by maximizing retail development of Exit 99," Hahs said. "Sales tax is an important portion of funding for a city, so we want to make sure of our future as Exit 99 develops."

The reconstruction is important for the city economically, Hahs added. "I'm excited about the whole project."

Access off East Jackson Boulevard will be important, he said, as well as the layout of outer roads around the interchange.

Plans now call for Wedekind Road to be closed, Hahs said in the study session of Monday's Board of Aldermen meeting.

Clarification on how access will work is important, he said.

Besides that, "it's about making sure everyone's on board. We may not all agree at the end, but we want to make sure everyone's heard."

Construction on the approximately $10 million project is expected to begin in the summer of 2019 and take two construction seasons, with completion expected by fall 2020, said Williams.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630