Aesthetic improvements planned along I-44 corridor

In a move aimed to make aesthetic improvements over and under Interstate 44 between Kansas Expressway and Glenstone Avenue, Springfield City Council approved a cost apportionment agreement with three partners: the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, Greene County and the Ozarks Transportation Organization. 

The agreement, which council passed at its Sept. 23 meeting, also will fund improvements to New Melville Road over I-44.

When the bill was introduced on Sept. 9, Dan Smith, director of public works, said the project would improve four bridges along the corridor.

The entities will share costs for the project, with the city appropriating $2.2 million in federal Surface Transportation Block Grant – Urban funds and $50,000 in eighth-cent Transportation Sales Tax funds.

Overall costs of associated MHTC projects are estimated at $37 million, according to an explanation of the bill provided by city staff.

The city’s apportionment covers the $3.3 million estimated for preliminary engineering costs as well as construction with contingencies, inspection and bid-letting for aesthetic improvements over and under the interstate. In addition to the city’s allocation, the OTO will contribute $302,000 of federal Transportation Alternative Program funds, and the county will contribute $1 million in local matching funds.

The terms of the agreement give the city responsibility for any aesthetic costs in excess of $485,000, the bill states. Aesthetics overruns up to $250,000 will be paid through already-budgeted transportation sales tax funds, and any underruns will be shared by the city and county based on a proportional share of the initial investment, according to the council bill.

The project includes construction of additional travel lanes on I-44, with multiuse path connections and an underpass near Doling Park, replacement of the Farm Road 127/New Melville Road bridge over I-44 and inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations on the bridge.

At the Sept. 9 meeting, Smith provided a staff report.

“As MODOT has been working on their I-44 project to widen to six lanes between Kansas and Glenstone, we’ve been coordinating with them on making aesthetic improvements to that corridor at the same time,” Smith said.

He added that the council bill would provide for aesthetic improvements as well as pedestrian and bicycle improvements, and he added that the Doling Park underpass is in accordance with an OTO regional trail investment study from 2017.

“This is in accordance with the city’s priority of quality of place,” Smith said. “The bridge aesthetics would essentially involve lighting, form liners, to approve the appearance of the concrete.”

Councilmember Abe McGull expressed his approval of the plan.

“Any time we have a project, if we can include those aesthetic, placemaking-type improvements, [that] would be great,” he said. “The highways that we established years ago with just lanes going back and forth don’t lend themselves to traffic-calming conditions as well as aesthetic appearances. I’m glad to see we’re introducing that within our placemaking direction.”