Proposed extension faces legal, financial hurdles

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A plan to extend Kansas Expressway faces legal and monetary hurdles, though officials say the road would alleviate traffic between Springfield and Christian County.

Not only does the plan still need funding, subdivisions have sprung up along the proposed route, in some cases causing property value disputes as the county tries to acquire land. Two condemnation lawsuits filed by the county are pending in circuit court and others may follow, said Greene County attorney Ted Johnson.

Also, while Springfield owns 600 to 700 feet of land on the north end of the expansion, city officials have not yet mapped the right of way to protect it from development.

Greene County began discussing the expansion in the mid-1980s, when the land needed was largely undeveloped. It wasn't until the mid-1990s that mounting traffic and development in southern Greene County pushed the expressway plan to the forefront, said Commissioner Dave Coonrod.

"I wish I'd had a crystal ball," he said. "In the establishment of roadways, you've got to be able to see what the future holds or might hold."

'We can't wait'

Construction of the project may still be five to 10 years off, but Coonrod said officials must map and acquire key pieces of property right away.

"We can't wait," Coonrod said. If they do, "development will overtake the corridor and Kansas Expressway may never be extended."

Meanwhile, more and more cars are traveling between the state's fastest-growing county and Springfield. The Missouri Department of Transportation says daily traffic on Campbell Avenue from the expressway to the Christian County line grew between 1990 and 2000 by about 4,000 northbound vehicles and about 7,600 southbound cars.

Builders say the land along the proposed expressway already has doubled in value over the past decade and continues to appreciate.

Now, Greene County officials face legal hurdles, such as two cases where the owner or developer wants far more than the county is willing to pay.

County highway department administrator Kevin Lowe said the county has paid or authorized payment for about $1.2 million for 20 separate rights of way since 1996. It could cost $2 million or more to acquire the rest.

Commissioners also still need the funds to build the road, which could cost the county $20 million. But it's unlikely the state or federal governments, which both face tough budget years, will be able to help out anytime soon.

About half the new expressway would run through Christian County, linking with Missouri 14 west of Nixa. Commissioners there seem willing to help pay for the project, but aren't sure where they'll find the money.