Scott County commissioner hear MoDOT update on congestion-relieving highway improvements in Scott City

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County commissioners now have a better grasp of the timeline to relieve traffic congestion in the northern part of the county.

During their Thursday meeting, Eric Krapf, a project manager with the Missouri Department of Transportation, presented commissioners with drawings of plans for the project's second phase and updated them on first phase progress and third phase plans.

"We've been working to try to help with congestion problems in Scott City for the past couple of years," said Krapf. After several public meetings and hearings to survey needs and opinions, MoDOT has come up with a three-phase plan to address issues, he explained.

The first phase, currently under way, is adding additional turn lanes to US 61 and Route K in Scott City. "The whole idea is that you can get more people through the signals on the available green time that you have with these lanes," he said. "We think that's going to greatly reduce congestion at peak times."

Work recently began and is scheduled to be completed before school is back in session. Total cost for this phase is just over $200,000, said Krapf.

The second phase is dubbed the Ramsey Creek Bridge project.

"This project will give us a north-south connector between Route K and Highway AB," explained Krapf. "There are several ways to get out of Scott City along this new connection."

Thus far, it appears Kelso and Scott City residents are happy about the project, Krapf said.

"This is a project we haven't encountered any opposition to," said Krapf. "We're just really looking for- ward to getting it done."

According to Krapf, only two homes would be affected by the project, and both homeowners appear to be on board.

"I know our impact is going to be very minimal to the public," agreed Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger.

Krapf said MoDOT staff plans to begin acquiring the needed property for rights-of-way toward the end of the summer, when fiscal year 2010 begins, and have it all acquired by the end of the calendar year. By January MoDOT wants to have the contract out for bids and begin construction soon after. A total estimate for this phase is about $5 million.

Both phase one and phase two will be funded by federal earmarks that have been secured for some time, with the city of Scott City pitching in to help pay for phase one, according to Krapf.

The third phase of the project is to add a southern interchange.

"It would be south of the existing Scott City interchange, likely with an outer road connecting it," said Krapf. "We will likely have to have an extensive location study process."

There is currently no funding for this phase, he said.

Commissioners said all the changes will be a big plus for the county, and open up the area for businesses to locate.

"You wouldn't believe what all it would do," said Burger. "I think it would become the next Jackson over a period of time."

Commissioner Donnie Kiefer agreed, and said he's heard several positive comments about the current work in the area.

"I'm ready to get it completed and I'm ready to get that southern exchange," said Burger. "I think it's just something that we need."