MoDOT's road decongestant

The Missouri Department of Transportation expects to spend more than $1 million improving William Street between Siemers Drive and Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, an area of the city home to hundreds of medical offices, retail stores, restaurants and hotels.

William Street near Interstate 55 is one of the region's busiest commercial streets. Recognizing the potential to create an even bigger traffic jam, MoDOT plans call for much of the construction to be done at night and for extensive communication with affected businesses.

When finished, highway officials said, the project should ease traffic congestion and improve safety.

In 2002, more vehicles moved eastbound from I-55 to St. Francis Drive each day than traveled along Lindbergh Boulevard from I-55 to Union Road in St. Louis County, state highway officials said. The Cape Girardeau roadway had a daily traffic volume of 27,597 compared with the St. Louis County roadway's 26,690.

MoDOT will open bids for the project. a week from today, and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission could award a contract on July 9. Construction could begin as early as July 26 with work to be completed by Nov. 15, state highway officials said.

The project includes: Construction of another left-turn lane for eastbound traffic turning north onto Mount Auburn Road, resulting in two left turn lanes.

Adding a right-turn lane on the south side of William Street from the I-55 northbound off-ramp to Mount Auburn Road. Installing traffic signals at Farrar Drive and William Street.

Erecting overhead signs to help steer westbound motorists into the proper lanes for southbound I-55, Siemers Drive and Route K traffic. William Street becomes Route K as the roadway leaves city limits.

Connecting traffic signals from Siemers to Silver Springs Road with fiber optic cable for better coordination of the signal lights.

This will be the first such fiber optic traffic signal system in Southeast Missouri, said Angie Wilson, a spokeswoman for MoDOT's regional office in Sikeston.

Some of the construction work will be done between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. under construction floodlights to avoid any lengthy lane closures, Wilson said.

Closing lanes for any length of time during the day would be difficult, highway officials said.

"It would be just a tremendous traffic snarl if we did that," said Tim Richmond, MoDOT project manager.

Much of the new lane construction work will be done during the day on land along the south side of the existing pavement. A concrete traffic barrier will be placed to divide construction and traffic. That allows construction work to continue during the day without having to close a lane, Richmond said.

Timing with hotel

Highway officials said the goal is to get the work done before construction is completed on the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites on the southwest corner of William Street and Mount Auburn Road. The new hotel is expected to be open by next spring.

"We are trying to be out in front of the game a little bit," Wilson said.

In the next couple of weeks, MoDOT plans to mail information about the project to about 300 businesses served by William Street and connecting roads.

Wilson said MoDOT will offer to provide project updates to those businesses by e-mail.

Anyone can sign up for the e-mail updates through MoDOT's Web site at www.modot.org.

Once a contractor is hired, MoDOT representatives will begin making personal visits to the affected businesses and will make information on the project available in brochures businesses can distribute to customers, Wilson said.

"We are trying to do more innovative things to be responsive to the community and the drivers and minimize the inconvenience,' she said.

The plan was praised by Bob Hahn, vice president of development for Midamerica Hotels Corp., which is building the new hotel and has other businesses in the area. He said the traffic signals and other improvements will make travel safer for motorists.

"We have been looking at this for a long time. It is definitely going to be a benefit," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123