HANNIBAL - The Missouri Department of Transportation invites area residents to share comments about proposed intersection improvements at US 61 and Route A and US 61 and 5th Street in Ralls County near New London. A public meeting will be held on Thursday, May 4 at the Lion's Club Building, 600 West 5th Street, New London. A presentation outlining the recommendations will be given at 4:30 p.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. However, those interested can stop by the meeting anytime between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., and the presentation and comment form will be available online at www.modot.org/northeast beginning the day of the public meeting.
A seven person citizen's advisory group was created earlier this year to seek input from community and business representatives. After three meetings of gauging their feedback, as well as others who attended the meetings, MoDOT is recommending installation of median u turns (j turns) with offset lefts in the middle of the median, and closure of the two existing median crossovers at both intersections. "We looked at a variety of options that helped balance safety and access in this area," said MoDOT Area Engineer Brian Haeffner. "This is the most reasonable, effective solution to reduce or eliminate right-angle crashes and offer connectivity," he added.
"The proposed improvements are not currently funded, yet we hope to add them to Missouri's five year transportation program when funding is available," Haeffner explained. Public comments will be accepted between May 4 and May 18, 2017. For those not able to attend the meeting and those without Internet access, please contact MoDOT's Northeast District Office in Hannibal at 573-248-2584 to learn more about the improvements.