Districts Impacted

Southeast
Counties Impacted
Cape Girardeau
Project Status
In Progress
Route Impacted
Interstate 55

Project Milestones

Complete
Public Meeting
August 2018
Complete
MHTC Award
Jan. 2020
In Progress
Construction Begins
Feb. 2020

Learn More >

Not Started
Completion Anticipated
Nov. 2021
Center Junction: Cape and Jackson, Missouri

September 2020 Update: Multi-phase traffic impacts

Beginning overnight on Thursday, Sept. 3, weather permitting:

  • Phase 1- Shift current head-to-head traffic to utilize new pavement and existing westbound lanes. The northbound I-55 on ramp and southbound I-55 off ramp will be open to traffic. Construction at the northbound I-55 off ramp will be underway.

  • Phase 2-Shift northbound I-55 off ramp traffic onto new pavement and close access to Veterans Memorial Drive south.

  • Phase 3-Reopen access to Veterans Memorial Drive. Traffic signals will be in operation at Veterans Memorial Drive following completion of phase 3.

The three-phase approach will occur in succession over the course of approximately six weeks.

Learn More: View the Aerials

RECENT NEWS

Upcoming Traffic Shifts at Center Junction DDI for Project Milestone

SIKESTON-The Center Junction diverging diamond interchange project at Interstate 55 and U.S. Route 61 (mile marker 99) between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Missouri, will soon reach a milestone. In the coming weeks, the eastside of I-55 will be in its final condition.

To accomplish this, several traffic shifts will be necessary as the Missouri Department of Transportation’s contractor works to connect the new pavement to the existing. The three-phase approach will occur in succession over the course of approximately six weeks, with phase 1 beginning overnight on Thursday, Sept. 3, weather permitting.

Read More >

PROJECT DETAILS

About

A $17,476,608 contract was awarded to Penzel Construction Co., Inc., for construction of a diverging diamond interchange and replacement of two Interstate 55 bridges at the intersection of Interstate 55 and Route 61 (Kingshighway/Jackson Boulevard) in Cape Girardeau County in January 2020.

What are the benefits of converting the existing interchange to a diverging diamond interchange?

Diverging diamond interchanges work well in areas of heavy traffic. Approximately 23,000 vehicles per day travel through the interchange. A major benefit of the DDI design is it allows motorists to make left turns without crossing in front of oncoming traffic. It will also improve traffic flow onto and off of the interstate ramps.

VIDEO UPDATE

Upcoming Traffic Shifts at Center Junction DDI for Project Milestone

PROJECT ARCHIVE

Public Meeting Held August 21, 2018

MoDOT held a public meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21 to discuss replacing the Interstate 55 bridges over Highway 61 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Mo., and converting the existing interchange to a diverging diamond interchange (DDI). The meeting was held at the Osage Centre in Meeting Room 2, located at 1625 North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Public Meeting Materials:

News Release & Project Info Archive