MoDOT awards contracts for Scott City projects

Two improvement projects awarded by the Missouri Department of Transportation on Friday will make rides smoother for motorists in Scott City, and a third will improve safety along Interstate 55.

Friday the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded a $155,061 contract to Gaines Construction Inc., in Wentzville, Mo., to repair heavy cracking on Scott City's interchange ramps; a $466,793 contract to Apex Paving Co. to pave two and a half miles of Main Street in Scott City; and a $580,632 contract to D&S Fencing Co. in Festus, Mo., to install mile markers and reflective plates on road edges on Interstates 55, 155 and 57.

In Scott City motorists will have to deal with increased congestion at the already-crowded interchange and delays on Main Street, the town's main thoroughfare. Mayor Tim Porch said the repairs are worth the delays.

"It's going to be a little congested, but it's an improvement," said Porch. "It's definitely work that's necessary."

Porch said Main Street, also called Route K, is one of the roads through Scott City in greatest need of repair after the completion of the city's summer paving program this year. Route K is a state-maintained road.

The repairs will take place from the I-55 interchange to Route N and lanes will be reduced during construction, but most of the work will occur at night, MoDOT said.

A timeline for the paving hasn't been finalized.

The ramp work is also in great need. Cracks plague the current ramps, which are used every day by commercial and commuter traffic as the main way in and out of the city.

A new process called "slot stitching" will be used for the repairs for the first time under contract in Missouri. In the process, slots are drilled into the pavement with steel reinforcing bars placed in the slots. A grout is then used to fill in the slots.

Traffic on the ramp will be shifted, but the ramp will still be accessible to motorists. A timeframe hasn't been finalized on this project either.

Interstate improvement

The improvements to Interstate 55, taking place along the road's entire length, are expected to be finished in 2006. New mile markers will be placed every two-tenths of a mile to assist motorists and emergency personnel, said MoDOT district engineer Mark Shelton.

In addition, reflective plates on the road shoulders and reflectors on guardrails will increase driving safety, Shelton said. The work should have a minimal impact on traffic, he said.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182