Public hearing on Jackson roundabout set for April 9

The Missouri Department of Transportation and city of Jackson are offering a chance for members of the public to weigh in on a traffic update coming to the uptown area.

A public hearing to discuss changes planned for the U.S. 61 and East Main Street intersection is scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. April 9 in the Missouri Room of Jackson City Hall, 101 Court St.

MoDOT officials have suggested constructing a roundabout at the location, a move supported by city officials.

Improving traffic flow in the highly congested area has been on city officials' radar for over a decade.

The $1.5 million project is a cost-sharing venture between MoDOT and Jackson.

While city officials have taken advantage of various public events to discuss the project in recent months, the upcoming meeting is the first public event hosted by MoDOT.

Project manager Eric Krapf said MoDOT is required to hold public meetings for projects that will affect a large number of people, either through road closures or right-of-way purchases from property owners.

"The purpose of this meeting isn't, 'Hey, do you want to build a roundabout or not?' The purpose of this meeting is, 'We're building a roundabout, and we've got to buy some property to do it, and it's going to have an impact on traffic,'" he said. "So we want to get out and tell the public about it and give them a chance to come out and make sure we've addressed all the concerns they have."

An open-house format will be used, with no formal presentation scheduled. Krapf said members of the project team will be available to answer questions.

Comments about the project can be made at the meeting or delivered later via mail-in cards or on MoDOT's website.

At the meeting, the roundabout will not be the only Jackson intersection of interest.

Roads around the square, which frame the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse and the county administration building, also suffer from congestion issues at peak traffic times.

Among the ideas under consideration by MoDOT is the possibility of making Barton Street one-way.

"To the north, we're looking at making that intersection there at Barton and 61 a right-in, right-out only, so you don't have left turns in there kind of mucking things up," Krapf said. "We're also looking at that part of Washington, from High Street to Court Street, possibly closing that altogether. That would eliminate several turning movements at that intersection as well."

In a separate project, a new Cape Girardeau County facilities plan seeks to close a section of Washington Street near those same intersections for construction of a new courthouse to be built over the existing road.

The county plan hinges on voter approval of a use tax, which would serve as the primary revenue source for the project.

While MoDOT and the city of Jackson have made efforts to work with the county as they move forward with the project, Jackson's intersection improvements will continue regardless of what happens to the county plan, officials have said.

Krapf said information on all the proposed intersection improvements will be available at the April 9 meeting. Information also is available at modot.org/southeast/news_and_information/public_meetings.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

101 Court St., Jackson, Mo.