MoDOT names new chief for Springfield region

Juranas, 48, will start April 1, the department said.

Juranas had been district engineer for the Hannibal region since August 2000; that district covers 13 counties in northeast Missouri. He has worked for MoDOT for 24 years, holding other management positions in Willow Springs, Jefferson City and Kansas City.

Most notably, Juranas helped MoDOT drum up support for a K-cent sales tax that is paying for half of the $100 million widening of Route 36 that stretches across the state.

As District 8 engineer, the top MoDOT administrator for the Springfield region, Juranas will oversee road and bridge planning, design, construction and maintenance work.

He also will lead MoDOT’s involvement with other transportation-related activities, such as aviation, rail, public transit, waterways and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

MoDOT’s Springfield district covers 3,670 miles of roads and streets in 12 counties: Greene, Christian, Taney, Stone, Polk, Hickory, Dallas, Laclede, Webster, Wright, Douglas and Ozark.

Juranas will be in charge of about 500 employees.

Ricks retired after working for MoDOT for 24 years.

He led projects such as the ongoing reconstruction of the Interstate 44/U.S. Highway 65 interchange, the widening of Highway 65 between Branson and Hollister, and building a bridge on Highway 160 near Ash Grove.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s March 7 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.