MoDOT plans unique design for I-44/Route 13 interchange

The meeting will be 4–7 p.m. at the Missouri Entertainment and Event Center, 3001 N. Grant Ave. Attendees should use Gate 5 on Norton Road just east of Dickerson Park Zoo.

No formal presentation is planned, but attendees will be able to look at project displays, a traffic simulation and a video explaining how the new design will work. MoDOT engineers also will be on hand for one-on-one discussions.

The design calls for the opposing lanes of Route 13 to be reconstructed to criss-cross at traffic signals at the ends of the bridge over I-44. Crossing the bridge, oncoming traffic will be on the right, separated by concrete barriers and screening, according to a news release. This will give left-turning vehicles on Route 13 a “free left” to the I-44 on-ramp, and traffic continuing north or south on Route 13 will be able to travel more steadily through the interchange. Click here for a look at the design.

The project’s design is called a diverging diamond interchange and will be the first of its kind in the country, the release said. The design is expected to be:

• Built quicker, in six to nine months, instead of at least two years, because the existing bridge will be used;

• Less expensive, with an estimated $2.5 million price tag by using the existing bridge and property, instead of $8.5 million for standard interchange reconstruction; and

• Safer, with no left-turn lanes to fill up the bridge and “free left” turns at the ramps on either end of the bridge, reducing left-turn and rear-end crashes, according to the release.

A bid should be approved in December, and work is slated to begin early next year. There will be lane closings and traffic shifts on Route 13, but two southbound lanes and one northbound lane will be open at all times.

MoDOT is considering employing the diverging diamond interchange design elsewhere in Springfield and the state, the release said. It currently is used in Europe.

View a MoDOT video demonstration of the interchange below.

In addition to attending the June 24 meeting, the public can submit comments on the project to MoDOT at 3025 E. Kearney St., Springfield, MO, 65803 or at www.modot.org under the Contact Us tab.