MoDOT may scrap plans to close entrance to outer road

A Missouri Department of Transportation proposal to close a South Kingshighway entrance to an outer road that serves about a dozen homes and businesses in Cape Girardeau likely will be scrapped, civil engineer Chris Koehler said Tuesday night.

City engineer Mark Lester said city officials will ask MoDOT to keep the entrance open. State highway officials said the neighborhood's wishes would be considered.

The news was greeted with relief by affected residents and property owners who turned out for a public meeting conducted by the city of Cape Girardeau and state highway officials to review plans for construction of a new intersection at Silver Springs Road and South Kingshighway.

Koehler's engineering firm drew up plans for the joint city-MoDOT project.

MoDOT had proposed closing the outer road entrance on the east side of South Kingshighway north of the proposed intersection, near Show Me Motors used-car dealership.

Hard on businessCleo Johns Jr. and his wife, Joyce, said that would have destroyed their business because it would have made it inconvenient for customers to reach the car lot. The couple also operate Johns Metal & Salvage. The two businesses sit side by side at 1110 and 1112 S. Kingshighway.

Homes and businesses there carry South Kingshighway addresses but actually sit off the busy street on a state-maintained outer road.

"If they close that road, my property value would drop 90 percent," Cleo Johns said before the meeting.

State highway officials said nothing has been finalized regarding the outer road issue, but that the neighborhood's comments would be considered.

Clyde Sams, who operates Sams Auto Sales at 1138 S. Kingshighway, favors the proposed intersection project just as long as the state doesn't eliminate access to the outer road that serves the business and residential neighborhood.

"If they take the main drag out, that would be wrong," he said.

Sams was among about 20 people who attended the open-house format meeting at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, only a short distance west of the proposed Silver Springs-Kingshighway intersection.

Cleo Johns said the intersection itself is needed.

"Everybody is for the stoplight because it will slow traffic down," he said.

Koehler, the engineer, said the project would improve traffic flow, provide an additional route to Cape Girardeau Central High School and the Career and Technology Center, which are west of South Kingshighway, and improve traffic safety.

The city and the state highway department will split the $465,000 costs. The city already has spent money on engineering plans for the project. Final engineering plans could be ready by May. A contract could be awarded this summer and pavement work could be completed by fall, MoDOT officials said.

The project will include installation of traffic signals, which could take until next year to complete depending on the availability of signal equipment, officials said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123