School ended last week for students in the Jackson School District. When parents return their students to South Elementary in the fall, they can expect to see improved traffic flow along Highway 25.
After two years of planning, work will start today at the school south of Jackson. Workers will be putting in turn lanes and a stoplight to relieve traffic congestion around the entrance of the school. There will also be improvements to help traffic flow through the parking lot.
The Missouri Department of Transportation, the school district and city of Jackson put $33,000 each toward the $1.1 million project, which also includes $650,000 in federal funding. The budget also includes extra MoDOT dollars for additional improvements along the highway, said district engineer Mark Shelton.
He said the road will not be closed for the project, but drivers can expect some flaggers and lane closures. The cement work is expected to be complete by the beginning of school in the fall.
"We know it's going to be a much better experience for the buses and the teachers and the folks that drop their kids off at South Elementary," Shelton said.
During peak times before and after school, traffic backed up for about 15 minutes on school property and onto the highway. The congestion has caused accidents and has raised student safety concerns among school and city officials.
The school opened in 1998, and the district started its first preschool program there in 2002. As its enrollment increased, traffic problems grew. Starting this school year, the district housed part of its growing preschool program at the New McKendree United Methodist Church across the road from the school.
The traffic solution resulted from meetings among city, school and MoDOT officials, a $12,600 analysis by a St. Louis consulting firm and a public meeting.
"That was a real good partnership," said Rodney Bollinger, Jackson public works director.
The city was responsible for relocating water and electric lines for the project, a cost in addition to the city's $33,000 contribution. Bollinger said the relocation work was recently completed and cost the city more than $78,000.
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