MoDOT will run E. Main project underneath I-55

Missouri's highway department plans to dig a huge hole under Interstate 55 and extend a five-lane East Main Street underneath rather than above the highway.

That is part of the latest design planned for the new East Main Street interchange, Missouri Department of Transportation officials said Tuesday. MoDOT has gone through 14 designs for the new interchange.

"What we are essentially building is an interchange and enough roadway to touch down on either side," said MoDOT project manager Andy Meyer. The city of Jackson will pay the cost of extending East Main Street to the west side of the interchange, and the city of Cape Girardeau will pay to build LaSalle Avenue as a connecting street on the east side.

MoDOT will hold a public hearing Thursday to explain the project to area residents. The open-house-style hearing is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau.

Digging under the interstate will cost less than to build over it, which would require a lot of dirt fill east of I-55, Meyer said.

The proposed plan would require some lane closures on I-55 during construction. Traffic at times would be reduced to one northbound lane and one southbound lane on I-55. "We have also looked at building a couple of ramps and using those as a temporary bypass," Meyer said.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission could approve plans for the project as early as November. Bids could be accepted as early as July. Construction could start next fall, Meyer said. MoDOT expects the work to be finished by late 2007.

Missouri's congressional delegation secured $10.8 million in funding for the project earlier this year. Meyer said that should be more than enough to pay for the interchange and allow MoDOT to draw up plans for the future construction of outer roads.

MoDOT wants to hire a consulting firm to do the preliminary engineering work on the outer roads that would connect to the interchange.

Meyer said preliminary plans could take a year or two to complete. "We are basically starting from scratch on that part of the project," he said. "Until we get an outer road system designed, we can't put a price tag on it."

Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson praised MoDOT's decision to proceed with planning of the outer roads.

"We have an opportunity to really escalate development of this area," he said.

Knudtson said the interchange will provide a new entrance to the northern part of the city and hopefully relieve traffic congestion at Lexington and Route W.

"Cape Girardeau has some real growing pains," he said.

The cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Cape Girardeau County and the Southeast Missouri University Foundation joined together in pursuing the interchange project.

As part of the partnership agreement, the Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night voted to annex more than 200 acres of university foundation land -- the old university farm property -- that borders the proposed interchange.

"That clears the way for orderly growth for Cape Girardeau to the north," Knudtson said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123