MoDOT to pave road for Jackson church

The road to the First Assembly of God of Jackson will be paved with four inches of asphalt instead of gravel, MoDOT has decided.

The department made the decision on the Dotty Lane extension after a Friday meeting with Jackson city officials.

Church members were upset that MoDOT's plans called for the access road to be gravel. They said that the church could incur future road improvement costs because the city does not normally accept gravel streets into its system.

Paul Bell, First Assembly's building committee coordinator, said he was happy when told of the news before Monday night's board of aldermen study session.

Paving the Dotty Lane extension is "the fair thing" to do, he said, "but you never know what will happen. That's one reason we brought it to the city's attention."

The access road is a spinoff of the large Highway 34/72 widening project. The heavily traveled artery will be widened to four lanes from Hope Street to the 34/72 intersection outside Jackson. Because of the widening, some businesses and homes will lose some access.

Thus, MoDOT included in its plans to extend Dotty Lane from the highway to Old Toll Road. The street would run through the church's property -- the building has yet to be built -- the Jaycee Community Center and Straightway Farm Service.

MoDOT said it will also pave the small access road behind several residents and S&S Florist. That road was also scheduled to be gravel.

In a news release issued by MoDOT, project manager Eric Krapf said the problem with Dotty Lane could easily be fixed because the department has discovered that it will not need to replace a box culvert over Rocky Branch on West Jackson Boulevard as originally thought. So some of the money saved by the less-expensive design could be put toward gravel roads, he said.

The First Assembly of God Church is one of several right-of-way casualties of the widening that has to be demolished. Church members decided to purchase property on Dotty Lane with the compensation it received from MoDOT on its right-of-way negotiations.

Also at Monday night's session, Jackson city administrator Jim Roach said MoDOT will consider putting colored concrete in the median to match retaining walls.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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