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News covering policy and issues related to city and county governments in the Ozarks.

Kansas Expressway Extension Discussed at Council Luncheon

Greene County

Springfield City Council got an update on the planned Kansas Expressway extension at its luncheon meeting Tuesday.

Greene County Highway Department chief engineer, Adam Humphrey, said the extension would take Kansas Expressway south from Republic Rd. to Farm Rd. 190.  The two-lane, 2.2 mile stretch of road with a likely speed limit of 40-45 mph, would be built at a cost of around $30 million.  It could be expanded to four lanes in the future.

"At some point there will come a day where we'll need additional capacity, and so, as we design the corridor, we're designing it with that in mind so that we can easily expand and add additional lanes in the future," he said.

Humphrey said much of the right-of-way for the project has been acquired.  The project is unique, he told council, in that the City of Springfield and Greene County identified a need for a future road in the area a long time ago.

"As subdivisions began to develop throughout that region, we were able to identify what the right of way needs were going to be for the future roadway, work with those developers to set aside that right of way, protect it," he said.

He said an extensive environmental study will be completed before the project begins.  And there will be extensive efforts to get public input before the design for the extension is finalized.

"It's going to involve us reaching out to homeowners' associations, doing community interviews, hosting public meetings and really engaging--reengaging the public, I should say, in the discussion about the Kansas corridor, making sure that we hear from them," he said.

The project is expected to begin in early 2018.  It will be done in phases and will take an estimated ten years to complete, according to Humphrey.  City council member Jan Fisk joked that she would enjoy the road from the OATS bus. 

To view a map of the planned extension, click here.

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.