NO PLANS AT PRESENT TO IMPROVE JUNCTION

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department says no improvements are currently planned at the Interstate 55-Highway 61-34 interchange between Cape Girardeau and Jackson unless there is local support and local financial assistance for the project.

Motorists getting off the interstate at during rush-hour periods must cross one or both of the busy, eastbound or westbound lanes of traffic on Highway 61-34 to get to Cape Girardeau or Jackson.

During certain times of the day traffic on both the northbound and southbound off-ramps is usually backed up to the interstate as motorists wait their turn for a break in the traffic flow to cross the busy traffic lanes that pass beneath the interstate.

Tom Stehn, spokesman for the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department at Sikeston said: "At this time there are no plans for improvements at the intersection. We've looked at the intersection and developed some options, but the project is not part of any active highway construction program at this time."

Stehn said to get a project moving the public and officials of Cape Girardeau and Jackson and the surrounding area must let the Missouri Highway Commission know they are interested in intersection improvements and be willing to support them financially.

Stehn said: "The intersection improvement project would have to be added to the highway commission's 15-year construction plan, or some other project could be removed from the 15-year plan to make room for this project. The commission could add the project to the plan if there is local support and local matching financial assistance."

Stehn said the financial assistance could be either in-kind services or actual funding.

"If the project is placed in the 15-year program, the highway department would be authorized to conduct an additional in-depth study of the intersection to determine the best method for improving traffic safety," Stehn explained.

According to highway department statistics, on an average day a total of 18,000 vehicles travel east and west through the Highway 61-34 and I-55 northbound and southbound exit ramps en route to Jackson and Cape Girardeau. A lesser number of vehicles use the interstate off-ramps there.

Motorists coming off the interstate on the southbound off-ramp to go toward Cape Girardeau must safely cross the busy westbound lane of Highway 61-34 so they can make a left turn onto the eastbound lane. The same is true for motorists coming off the northbound I-55 ramp to go west toward Jackson.

Despite the large number of vehicles that use the dual-lane highway each day, the highway department said few accidents have occurred at the intersection. Highway officials say that's because there are still fewer vehicles attempting to cross the busy traffic lanes. They also said the traffic on Highway 61-34 is not always heavy throughout the day.

But District 10 Highway Engineer Freeman McCullah said its just a matter of time.

McCullah said: "This intersection will become even more congested as the area continues to develop. One of the reasons we're looking at traffic signals for this intersection is the increasing amount of high-speed traffic between Cape and Jackson and the growing number of left-turn movements onto and off the dual highway. We will eventually have to make some improvements and signalize the intersection for traffic safety."

McCullah said the department looked at the intersection last year and came up with several alternatives that would improve traffic safety.

One alternate would relocate the westbound traffic lanes of Highway 61-34 closer to the eastbound lanes and eliminate the grassy median from near the Missouri Veterans Home west to where the grassy median ends and the four lanes come together. The intersection of the four lanes with each of the interstate off ramps would then be signalized.

Another alternative is to relocate the westbound lanes of Highway 61-34 closer to the eastbound lanes, eliminate the grassy median and signalizing the Highway 61-34 and I-55 off-ramp intersection.

McCullah said a third option would be to realign the left-turn lanes at the off-ramp intersections while maintaining the grassy median under the interstate route.

McCullah said the first option is the best but is more expensive since it involves the relocation of the westbound lane.

One improvement was made last year at the west end of the intersection, Freeman said. A hill that once obstructed the vision of drivers trying to cross or turn onto the eastbound lane of Highway 61-34 toward Cape Girardeau was removed last year. Motorists can now see traffic coming toward them from Jackson at a greater distance.

McCullah said Drury Development Corp. and the city of Jackson both have interests in the area near the intersection.