WIDER K OVERPASS OPENED

Doug Rowe may have best described this week's opening of all seven lanes of the Route K bridge over Interstate 55.

"When I crossed over the interstate Tuesday morning it put a smile on my face," said the manager of the Target store in Cape West Business Park on the West side of the interstate. "I'm glad to see it open."

The opening of the lanes this week was a goal of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department.

"Our goal was to have all lanes open in time for the Christmas holiday shopping season," said Barry Horst, district design engineer for the MHTD. "We still have some things to do, including some shoulder work, but at least all lanes are clear now."

The MHTD is also planning signal lights at the Siemers Drive intersection with Route K. "Depending on the weather, we could have everything wrapped up within a couple of months," said Horst.

Construction on widening of the Route K bridge over Interstate 55 started last February. "We felt that with good weather the project could be completed in late November," said Horst.

The bridge has been widened from four to seven lanes. Some of the lanes are designated as double turn lanes onto the interstate ramps, and two eastbound and westbound lanes will allow faster flow of through traffic.

The plan includes three stoplight systems: at each end of the bridge and at Siemers.

That part of the plan doesn't please everyone.

"We'd like to see one more stoplight between the new bridge and Mt. Auburn Road," said Dan Drury of MidAmerica Hotels Corp.

MidAmerica owns the Victorian Inn and Holiday Inn on the southeast corner of the Route K/Interstate 55 intersection.

"We're pleased to see the new lanes open," added Drury, who expressed concern that with the widened streets motorists now will have to watch six lanes of traffic.

"If not a stoplight, we hope the transportation department is considering reflectors for the road."

Officials of three large retail business on the west side of Interstate 55 are pleased that the lanes were opened this week.

"We feel that it will help us," said Greg Hord, a co-manager of Wal-Mart. "It will certainly improve the traffic flow."

"We've noticed heavier traffic on Bloomfield during construction," said Scott Guidroz, operations manager of Lowes of Cape Girardeau. "With the new lanes now open, we feel the traffic flow will be better."

Target's Rowe agreed.

"It will be more convenient for shoppers," he said.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department reported a slight increase in traffic on Bloomfield Road between Kingshighway and across Interstate 55.

"The opening of the new lanes will put things back to normal on Bloomfield," said J.R. Davis of the traffic division.