TALKS REVIVED ON TAKING NASH ROAD TO BLOMEYER

Plans to extend Nash Road westward to intersect with Highway 25 at Blomeyer, which have been on the back-burner a number of years, could be escalated in the near future.

Dan Overbey, Southeast Missouri Regional Port director, said a four-mile extension of Nash Road (Route AB) from the BioKyowa plant west to Highway 25 at Blomeyer would alleviate heavy truck traffic to the port and industries along Nash Road and would be an asset to farmers in the area wanting an alternate route to the industrial park, the port and Scott City area.

"We want to set up a meeting with a number of groups to discuss the project," Overbey said Thursday. "We'll be meeting with officials from Stoddard, Scott and Cape Girardeau counties, representatives of the Cape Special Road District and others."

The project would entail the building of four miles of gravel roadway.

"We need to discuss the funding and the route for the new road," said Overbey.

Some Cape Girardeau County members of the port board met with members of the Cape Girardeau County Commission recently to discuss the project.

"At the next meeting we'll look at all the state specifications for the road," said Overbey.

Estimate for the four miles of gravel road is $500,000.

All entities involved could help pay for the new county road either by cash donations or in-kind donations such as materials and machinery.

About 30 to 40 trucks from the port and other nearby industries enter Interstate 55 at the Nash Road interchange each day. With new industries coming to the area, the number of trucks getting on the interstate at Nash Road is likely to increase to more than 200 per day, said Ovebey.

Trucks traveling west to Highway 25 from the port now must enter I-55 at Nash Road, then go north to the Dutchtown exit or south to the Scott City exit before turning west toward Highway 25.

The idea of expanding Nash Road westward is not a new one.

"It has been discussed the past 10 to 12 years," said Overbey. "We want to throw it out for further discussion."

One of the routes could be the western route to the old Frisco Railroad bed, following the bed to near Blomeyer.