Local highway construction projects near completion

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As Proposition B heads to the Aug. 6 ballot, there are several Missouri Department of Transportation highway projects well under way in Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

Two of the larger projects the interchange at Highway 65 and Sunshine Street and the Route 60/James River Freeway extension are nearing completion and could be finished by year's end, according to MoDOT spokesperson Bob Edwards. |ret||ret||tab|

The improvements being made at Highway 65 and Sunshine are most noticeable, with crews working since December 1999 to meet this winter's deadline. The interchange improvements have been termed the first leg of Highway 65's widening under the Proposition B plan.|ret||ret||tab|

Including property acquisition, bridge work and relocating Eastgate Avenue and Ingram Mill Road, the project cost is approximately $20 million. Edwards said it is all funded by MoDOT's normal sources like fuel tax and license fees revenues, but a Springfield 1/8-cent sales tax helped to get the project started. |ret||ret||tab|

"The eighth-cent sales tax made it possible to get started on it without having the money in hand," he said. "MoDOT is still paying the whole thing." |ret||ret||tab|

According to MoDOT, the city of Springfield formed a transportation corporation to get bonds that would provide immediate funding for the project, because MoDOT budgeted to make the improvements five years from now.|ret||ret||tab|

When the budgeted amount becomes available, MoDOT will repay the corporation for all construction costs. The corporation borrowed money from the Missouri State Infrastructure Bank to secure bonding; MoDOT also will repay this amount. The city's contribution is payment of interest on the loan from Infrastructure Bank.|ret||ret||tab|

Citizens of Springfield fund the interest payments through the sales tax for traffic improvements, first approved in 1996.|ret||ret||tab|

APAC-Missouri Inc. Central Missouri Division out of Columbia is the prime contractor. |ret||ret||tab|

Edwards said when the project is complete, Highway 65 will be wide enough to accommodate six lanes of traffic, but will only be striped for four lanes. |ret||ret||tab|

"This is the first step in six-laning 65 through Springfield," he said. Proposition B funds would be used to widen Highway 65 in other areas. |ret||ret||tab|

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Commercial development|ret||ret||tab|

Another highly touted project is the James River Freeway, or Highway 60, west corridor extension. It is viewed by city officials as the next large commercial development area, similar to the way South Glenstone Avenue and James River Freeway has exploded in the last several years. |ret||ret||tab|

Encompassing seven miles of new road, three interchanges and seven bridges, the project cost is $26 million including land acquisition. The three new interchanges will be located along Highway 60 at Sunshine, or Missouri 13, Route MM and I-44. The freeway will end at I-44, completing a circular highway system around the city. |ret||ret||tab|

Springfield City Manager Tom Finnie said the three interested cities, Springfield, Republic and Brookline, are in discussions about annexation of that land surrounding the James River Freeway and Highway MM intersection. |ret||ret||tab|

"We've agreed that we need to discuss that in detail and look at the larger issue of city boundaries," Finnie said.|ret||ret||tab|

The freeway has come a long way according to Howard Fisk, of J. Howard Fisk Limousines Inc.|ret||ret||tab|

Fisk remembers the James River Freeway as just a plan when he started his transportation service business in 1975. |ret||ret||tab|

"Now it has happened and look at it," he said. "People have to plan ahead It's not just dealing with today's needs, it's trying to prevent greater congestions and safety issues in the future."|ret||ret||tab|

Fisk said it's important area roads are updated to meet the needs of those that work, shop and get medical treatment in Springfield.|ret||ret||tab|

"We need to be able to get those people in and out of our marketplace because it's very important for economic development," Fisk said.|ret||ret||tab|

As president of highway/heavy contractor APAC Master's Jackson, Dave Roling agrees with Fisk. He thinks the freeway extension will develop commercially in a couple of years.|ret||ret||tab|

"In the next 2-5 years, you're going to see an economic development (there)," he said. "The new growth area for Springfield is going to be that corridor."|ret||ret||tab|

Springfield City Manager Tom Finnie is planning for a longer development period.|ret||ret||tab|

"Twenty years down the road, it's going to be an important development. But, I don't see it in the next three to five years," Finnie said. It's hard to tell what will occur, he said. However, "there's no question that down the road it will be a good development."|ret||ret||tab|

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