MAY 24 HEARING ADDRESSES HIGHWAY 74 IMPROVEMENTS

The Missouri Department of Transportation wants to build a four-lane, divided highway from Blomeyer to Cape Girardeau at a cost of about $60 million.

Area residents will have a chance to discuss the highway plan at a public hearing May 24 at the Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau. The hearing, which will be an open-house-styled meeting, is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m.

MoDOT officials discussed the plan with affected property owners last October.

The proposed route would extend from the intersection of highways 25 and 77 eastward along the path of Highway 74 to the Dutchtown exit on Interstate 55.

The existing interchange at I-55 and Highway 74 would be realigned to the north and connect directly to Kingshighway east of I-55. Currently, there are two separate interchanges within a short distance of each other.

DawnRae Clark, MoDOT project manager, said the two interchanges would be reworked. "That is going to be made into one improved interchange," she said Tuesday.

Clark said the estimated cost is very preliminary. The final figure could vary considerably, she said.

Portions of existing Highway 74 would be used as a service road to provide access to homes and businesses along the route that otherwise would be cut off from the new highway.

Clark said the new highway would be constructed so it would be above the 500-year flood level.

"This improvement addresses the future traffic growth demands along Route 25," she said.

Construction of the highway is at least five years away, she said.

MoDOT has done an environmental assessment and garnered the necessary approval from the Federal Highway Administration, Clark said.

Additional right of way would have to be bought for the project. Clark said the state would have to buy seven tracts of land that include homes, businesses and farm buildings.