Overheard

Highway construction crews this month will begin a major project at U.S. Highway 60 and Glenstone Avenue. The $5.2 million reconstruction is designed to improve traffic flow along Glenstone at Highway 60, or James River Freeway, but it will mean lane and road closures for the next several months. Interchange improvements will include the elimination of southbound Glenstone left-turn lanes on the bridge; a new loop ramp for southbound Glenstone to eastbound Highway 60; and the realignment of the eastbound Highway 60 off-ramp, bringing traffic to a new intersection at Republic Road west of Glenstone.

The project is a partnership between MoDOT, the city of Springfield and Greene County. Journagan Construction of Springfield is the prime contractor.

Starting Jan. 14 and lasting through fall, a 2,700-foot-long section of Republic Road between Glenstone and a point east of Charleston will be closed for work, as the low-lying roadway will be raised and widened to five lanes. Meanwhile, Harvard and Boulder avenues will close at their intersections with Republic at some point, and Harvard will be realigned where it intersects Republic. The project also will require nighttime closings at times along eastbound Highway 60 at Glenstone.

Business Assessments

Greene County’s personal property and business assessment lists were mailed out last week to county residents and business owners. For the first time, personal property assessments will include information from 2007 assessment lists, so taxpayers can review last year’s information and approve or update it for 2008. Business property assessments will not include 2007 information, and business owners will be required to submit additional details. All county residents and business owners are required to declare all taxable personal and business property to the assessor, including motor vehicles, boats, trailers, livestock, farm machinery and business-related equipment as of Jan. 1. The deadline to file without late fees is March 1. The assessment lists are the basis for 2008 property tax bills, which will be sent out in November.

State Salaries

Information about state employee salaries is now available through the Missouri Accountability Portal Web site. Visitors to www.mapyourtaxes.mo.gov/MAP/Portal/ can view state employees’ pay information by searching the agency of employment, job title or employee name. Gross pay amounts are provided for the last pay cycle and the year-to-date. The site, launched in July, also provides information about state spending and state tax credits. More than 2 million visits have been logged since its debut.

Pay Phone Phase-out

AT&T plans to eliminate its pay phone services, including those in Missouri, by the end of 2008. The San Antonio, Texas-based telecom giant has continuously experienced reduced pay phone usage, largely due to the growth of wireless phones and personal communication devices, according to a company news release. Pay phones in the United States have declined across the industry to about 1 million, less than half the 2.6 million phones that were in operation in 1998. AT&T will phase out both public pay phones and phones provided under contract at government correctional facilities.