Jackson roundabout project begins Tuesday

The city of Jackson and the Missouri Department of Transportation will begin construction Tuesday of a roundabout in uptown Jackson.

The roundabout will replace a four-way stop at East Main Street and U.S. 61.

Final plans for the project, designed to remedy a traffic-flow problem identified over a decade ago, were finalized early in February 2015. Time needed for right-of-way acquisitions and the temporary traffic interruptions that accompany projects of this scale, however, made this spring a more feasible window for construction.

MoDOT's goal is to have the roundabout finished and functioning in one construction season. The opening date is set for Oct. 31.

At about $1.5 million, the project will be the largest construction undertaking Jackson will be involved with this year.

Motorists travel along U.S. 61 on Friday in Jackson.Glenn Landberg

The city will bear half of the financial cost, with MoDOT contributing the remaining $750,000.

Over the course of the last year, MoDOT has tried to maintain communication with Jackson residents, not all of whom are pleased about the project.

MoDOT staff, including project manager Eric Krapf and his team of engineers, have explained the benefits of roundabouts at several public hearings and bimonthly Board of Aldermen meetings.

MoDOT officials say roundabouts facilitate traffic flow by eliminating the need for most cars to stop fully. Yielding at a roundabout produces a more efficient intersection.

At the times when traffic is heaviest, Krapf said, the proposed roundabout would be 75 percent more efficient than the current intersection and 15 percent more efficient than a traffic signal.

Motorists travel Friday through the intersection of U.S. 61 and East Main Street in Jackson.Glenn Landberg

The benefits don't come only with faster commute times; roundabouts have been found to decrease the frequency of collision accidents. Sideswipes will remain a risk, but they typically involve slower speeds and calmer traffic patterns, according to information provided by MoDOT.

But some residents have opposed the project since the beginning.

Krapf pointed to the success of other MoDOT roundabout projects in nearby communities such as Perryville and Cape Girardeau, but that appeal seems to often prove unconvincing. Many of the project's opponents already dislike having to use those roundabouts, particularly Cape Girardeau's.

Krapf said in a recent Board of Alderman meeting the detour route will be similar to one used during recent repairs of railroad tracks at U.S. 61 and Highways 72 and 25 that diverted motorists up South Shawnee Boulevard. Detours will change periodically as the project progresses, but not without notice from MoDOT, he said.

The post office and uptown businesses in uptown Jackson will remain open and accessible throughout construction.

Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization president Bob Schooley said the project has been divisive, but he has advocated for it. He sees the roundabout as a positive investment in infrastructure, and by extension, Jackson's future.

"You will still be able to get to everything in uptown Jackson," he said. "In a roundabout way ... uptown Jackson and Jackson as a whole will rise as we always do: together."

Barton Square also will be closed from Tuesday until July 15, weather permitting.

For information about the project, call MoDOT area engineer Brian Okenfuss at (573) 431-4933, resident engineer Brian Holt at (573) 243-0899 or project manager Eric Krapf at (573) 472-5261.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627