A road construction project kicked off today in Rogersville. Project Freeway is designed to make travel along Highway 60 easier while reducing the number of accidents. KSMU’s Michele Skalicky has more.
When the project is completed at the end of 2016, a stretch of US 60 will be converted from an expressway to a freeway. Sean Matlock, with the Missouri Department of Transportation, is the project’s director.
“We have more controlled access. We're eliminating two signals--the signal at Business 60 and the signal at B and VV, and we are replacing it with interchanges at 253 and B and VV," he said.
About three miles of the highway, he says, will be converted to a freeway. They’ll eliminate not only the signals but also some at grade intersections.
“The important part of that is, by removing those at grade intersections, you're improving the safety along the corridor," he said.
Matlock says having intersections or driveways on a high-speed stretch of roadway carries a high potential for accidents. The project, he says, will eliminate that.
Construction will run from Farm Rd. 241 on the west to Business 60 on the east.
The $34.5 million project is possible, according to Matlock, because of accumulated savings from projects in MODOT’s southwest district.
He says, while there’s always inconvenience to motorists during road construction projects, they’ll try to keep it to a minimum.
To learn more about the project, click here.
