Old Orchard Road in Jackson will close Wednesday

Beginning Wednesday, South Old Orchard Road in Jackson will close for about a month, so work to straighten an awkward curve can commence, according to a city official.

The portion of road between the East Jackson Fire Station and County Road 306 will be re-constructed to straighten the sharp curve, a city news release from Jackson administrative services director Rodney Bollinger stated.

City engineer Clint Brown told the Southeast Missourian in February there isn�t a good detour around the construction area, so most of Old Orchard Road will be closed for the work�s duration.

Signs will be posted along the route, the release stated.

South Old Orchard Road was constructed with the sharp curve to avoid a house, which has since been demolished.

Initial grading work already has been completed, Brown told the Southeast Missourian in February, leaving only road demolition, final grading work and building of the new road.

City administrator Jim Roach said previously the project was eligible for funding through the existing Old Orchard Road tax-increment finance district, or TIF district.

The TIF district, established in 1998, allowed money otherwise slated for property taxes to be deferred into a fund to pay for public improvement projects, including installing utilities and paving the road itself.

Work must be completed by 2021, when the TIF district sunsets, Roach said in October.

Using TIF dollars for this project allowed the city to stretch its budget to cover other projects that were not eligible, Roach added.

Vern Bauman Contracting Co. of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, will do the work at a cost of about $105,000, according to city documents.

Depending on the progress of the construction, South Old Orchard Road should re-open June 4, officials stated.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

South Old Orchard Road, Jackson, Mo.