CoxHealth Vice President of Facilities Management Rod Schaffer, talks about the improvements from the health system's perspective, including a service road and underpass to add access to the hospital’s future emergency department.
James River, National interchange reworking begins
SBJ Staff
Posted online
Work to create Springfield's - and, according to the state Department of Transportation, the nation's - second diverging diamond interchange is under way at the intersection of James River Freeway and National Avenue.
Officials from the city of Springfield and MoDOT broke ground Tuesday on the $9.7 million project, which is expected to relieve traffic congestion and improve access to CoxHealth facilities on both sides of National.
MoDOT is paying half of the cost, while the remaining half will come from Cox and the city; Cox donated $3 million, while the city is covering $1.85 million through the 1/8-cent transportation sales tax and federal stimulus money.
When the project is finished in August 2010, National will be six lanes across the bridge, while the ramps will have dual turn lanes for drivers headed north on National from James River. The project also will create an underground access road for CoxHealth ambulances and other emergency personnel to allow better access to hospital facilities.
Emery Sapp & Sons is the general contractor on the project, which will be the second interchange of its kind in the area. The first, at Kansas Expressway and Interstate 44, was completed in June.
