I-55 connection is big piece of road puzzle

For many years, when people talked about the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge that would span the Mississippi River, it was prefaced with the word "someday."

Now look at it, nearly finished and ready to be used on an everyday basis.

The same wistful tone has often been used in Jackson when people talked about the interchange that would connect Interstate 55 with an extended East Main Street.

It's a great idea, people said, but when will we see real progress?

The good news is we're seeing some real progress being made now in the sorely needed project. All of the players are moving forward with their plans, from the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson to the Missouri Department of Transportation to Southeast Missouri State University, which is planning to build a technology park on land it owns near the interchange.

Design plans for Jackson's portion of the project -- about 1,300 feet of new roadway west of I-55 -- are nearly complete. City officials are preparing to buy right of way from six property owners. Construction is set to begin next year when good weather hits.

It's not a loose deadline. Jackson's work has to be done before the MoDOT can begin its work on the actual interchange.

Meanwhile, MoDOT is in the final stages of doing an environmental and cultural study of the property that is required before construction can begin.

Within the next few weeks, the findings of the study will be sent to archaeologists, historians, environmental specialists and other officials in Jefferson City.

Then it will be determined whether there's any area of special importance, such as an unknown cemetery, a historical landmark or wetlands. MoDOT is expecting to begin construction on the interchange in time to have it finished by 2006.

Cape Girardeau has a part to play too. It wants to use the opportunity to attach a new east-west route along Cape Girardeau's northern edge. City officials say plans for the exact route will remain sketchy until MoDOT determines exactly where the interchange will be built, though rough plans call for it to go two miles north of Jackson near the university property and mile marker 101.

Cape Girardeau plans to rebuild a section of County Road 618 from the intersection of Route W to the interchange. This project is far from certain. A funding mechanism is still needed, which will hinge on voters. One possible funding source could be the next Transportation Trust Fund, which Planning and Zoning board members talked about last week.

The university also hopes to have businesses in place at its property by the time to interchange is finished.

Clearly, it's an important project. One Jackson official called it "the quintessential traffic ingredient" Jackson has needed for years.

Progress is being made on every front. For this project, "someday" isn't nearly as far off as it used to be.