Work on I-55 bridge causing traffic delays

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Scott City resident Paul Brockmeyer sat in nearly motionless traffic Tuesday morning on his way to Cape Girardeau, growing more impatient by the minute. He needed to be at his doctor's appointment soon, and he was growing weary of passing the bright orange barrels at a snail's pace.

"It's lousy," Brockmeyer said. "It took me more than half an hour from the time I left Scott City to get to the Diversion Channel."

When he left from his house, Brockmeyer didn't know work already had begun on Interstate 55 to replace the northbound bridge over the Diversion Channel.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said motorists traveling I-55 in southern Cape Girardeau County and northern Scott County can expect similar delays. The delays might be around for a while with construction scheduled for completion in 2003.

Monday marked the first day of northbound and southbound lane closures for work on a new northbound I-55 Diversion Channel bridge that will feature three lanes instead of two. In addition to replacing the 40-year-old span, the work will include Nash Road interchange improvements such as new turn lanes, lighting and infrastructure for future traffic signals.

Jessica Wiggins just moved to Scott City. On Monday, she sat in slow-moving traffic on I-55 on her way to Cape Girardeau.

"I had to practically sit there and move along for 25 minutes before I even got to Cape," she said. "It was a slow trip."

The work is intended to make safer an accident-prone site full of potholes and dangerously short entrance ramps.

Brockmeyer conceded the delays may be worth it. "I guess if it keeps a tractor-trailer from running over you, it'll be OK," he said.

MoDOT area engineer Stan Johnson said engineers studied traffic on Monday and Tuesday morning, and he released some estimates on peak travel delays.

Traffic flowed with little delay on the southbound lane in the morning, Johnson said. But during peak morning commute times -- 7:30-8:30 a.m. -- Johnson said there were 30-minute delays for some drivers. Afternoon traffic saw 20- to 30-minute delays for both southbound and northbound lanes from about 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., he said.

"That doesn't mean that anyone traveling at any other times will not see traffic delays," Johnson said. "Reducing both lanes of Interstate 55 in this heavily traveled area will cause delays."

Johnson encouraged finding alternate routes, such as Route 25 or Route K.

Traffic is reduced to one lane while dirt work and a drainage pipe are installed for a crossover. Once completed, the crossover will carry traffic from the southbound lane to the northbound lane while work begins on replacing the bridge.

The $10.6 million project is estimated to be completed in 2003. The cost of the project will come from the road and bridge construction fund, which the state collects as part of its gasoline tax.

MoDOT engineer Bob Wilson said that the work will make the interchange and bridge safer. The site is a top site for accidents, and traffic delays are a small price to pay for a safer interchange and bridge, Wilson said.

"People will have delays now, yes," he said. "But in the long run, we'll have a safer highway."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137