MoDOT awards contract for Route K/Highway 25 roundabout project

Missouri Department of Transportation has awarded a contract for constructing a roundabout at the junction of Route K and Highway 25 near Gordonville in Cape Girardeau County.

The $2.3 million contract was awarded Wednesday, Jan. 3, to Fronabarger Concreters Inc.

Work on the project could begin as soon as next month, with an estimated completion date around November, about a year later than original projections, according to materials provided Thursday, Jan. 4, by MoDOT.

MoDOT officials said in 2022 the roundabout project was set for completion near Christmastime 2023. The cost for the roundabout itself was estimated at between $750,000 and $900,000, but after a study done by a consultant, right-turn bypass lanes were included as part of the project, pushing the estimate to roughly $2 million.

The roundabout was chosen as the preferred solution over traffic lights. The state installed temporary stoplights at Route K/Highway 25 when the Interstate 55 interchange was reconstructed between Cape Girardeau and Jackson. That construction pushed more traffic to Highway 25. Local residents said the traffic didn't dissipate much after the interchange was completed, but the temporary lights were taken away, leading to traffic problems.

In March, MoDOT officials told a committee of Southeast Metropolitan Planning Organization (SEMPO) the contract letting had been delayed from May until October. Tim Pickett, MoDOT's project manager, told the Southeast Missourian then that extra time was needed to work out details with property owners. Pickett at the time said MoDOT was working with CS Printing and Acee's convenience store about adjusting their access to the roadway.

On Thursday, Acee's general manager Stanley Craver said once the roundabout is built, the gas station's western entrance will allow right turns only onto Route K.

Craver and CS Printing employee Scott Wyss agreed a traffic improvement is needed at the junction. Both cited fatal motorcycle wrecks as a need for improved safety there. They acknowledged traffic backs up quite a bit a couple of times a day, particularly in the left turn lane in front of the businesses on Route K.

The nearly continuous flow provided by a roundabout's design should help move vehicles through the area more efficiently, particularly after school and around 5 p.m.