Route T at Wappapello Lake reopens to traffic

Highway T at Wappapello Lake reopened to regular traffic last week, nearly a year and half after flood waters washed away a large section of the main road for residents who live past the dam.

The speed limit on the newly opened road will be 30 miles per hour when permanent signs are placed, said Audie Pulliam, Missouri Department of Transportation resident engineer. Stop signs have been removed from both sides of the damaged area.

This completes MoDOT flood repairs at the lake, with the exception of some minor work to complete lighting and installation of guard rails, Pulliam said. The project finished slightly ahead of schedule, he said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also completed major infrastructure flood repairs with the recently finished work on the new Redman Creek entrance from the visitor center parking lot, and asphalt work at the St. Francis River access and upper spillway parking lot, said assistant project manager James Gracey.

"We are slowly getting back to what will be our new normal," he said.

Weather has slowed some work, Gracey said, and workers still have some asphalting to finish in the visitor center parking lot and striping at the upper spillway parking lot. All roads are open though, he said.

"Recovery from the flood on this end is pretty much done," Gracey explained. "On the infrastructure, we have done a lot of work to get to the new normal."

Historic crests in May 2011 drove water over the emergency spillway, digging deep craters just past the spillway and ripping away large sections of Highway T and the previous Redman Creek entrance, which came from Highway T.

Pertinent address:

Wappapello Lake, Mo.