MoDOT presents I-55 interchange plan to Scott City

Missouri Department of Transportation officials discussed a proposed interchange at Interstate 55 that would provide access to south Scott City during a public hearing Tuesday evening at Scott City City Hall.

The interchange, budgeted at $14 million, is part of a three-phase process to ease traffic congestion at Scott City. MoDOT chose a preferred route for the interchange after examining two options in 2013.

The route would include building the interchange near the Route PP crossing by adding ramps to an existing Route PP overpass and outer roads. This would include about 4,000 feet of new roadway from U.S. 61 at Kelso, Mo., to the Route PP overpass. About 7,500 feet of new outer road east of I-55 would be built to connect County Road 311, as well improving the remaining portion of County Road 311 to Scott City. The Route PP bridge will be widened to accommodate turning lanes for the new interchange.

The route is the same proposed to the public in May, minus a small change to minimize impact to land owned by Wade Robert.

Robert lives on a Century Farm -- a property recognized by the state as having been owned by the same family for more than a century. The original plan would have significantly affected the property.

The Missouri State Historic Preservation Office recommended MoDOT change a curve in the outer road to reduce its effect on the historic farm. By redesigning the curve, the department would potentially save about one year of legal processes required by Congress and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to consider the effects on historic properties, according to the ACHP website.

A previous proposed route closer to Scott City was nixed when it was determined it would have a negative effect on nearby historic properties, Ramsey Creek and surrounding wetlands.

Distance between interchanges must also be considered when building a new intersection along the interstate, said Eric Krapf, transportation project manager with MoDOT.

"The Federal Highway Administration has guidelines on interchange density along the interstate system. When a new interchange is proposed, there are required distances that must be met, and for rural areas that distance is at least two to three miles between interchanges," Krapf said.

Knapf said buying land for right of way will begin in 2015, with construction starting in 2017.

"Allowing that much time will give us plenty of time to make changes if needed," Knapf said, adding once construction starts, the project will take two years to complete.

Don Shelton, a former member of the Kelso board of aldermen, said the consensus in Kelso is residents there oppose a direct connection to I-55.

"We like our little island here in Kelso; we have a neat little town," he said. "I feel with a connection to the interstate we will lose our isolation."

While opposing the location of the southern exchange, Shelton said he admires what MoDOT officials are doing.

"I think they are doing what is best for the region, not just Kelso, and I admire that they are looking at the benefit of the entire region," Shelton said.

While Scott City officials were hoping for an interchange closer to the city, city administrator Ron Eskew said they are pleased with the current plan.

"This will provide our large companies such as RoseCon, Buchheit Trucking and Select Plastics with a southern route to the interstate, bypassing the railroad tracks, in turn relieving traffic congestion in the city," Eskew said.