Springfield, Greene County – The contractor, Emery Sapp and Sons, Inc., rebuilding the 1970s-era, original concrete pavement on U.S. Route 65 between Sunshine Street and U.S. Route 60 in Springfield will accelerate the completion of the northbound side of the project. The acceleration will increase safety for drivers and construction workers and reduce the inconvenience to drivers, businesses and others who live and work in southeast Springfield, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.
MoDOT has agreed to the plan which will require northbound Route 65 to be closed between Route 60 and Sunshine Street ‘round the clock for up to 10 days, instead of the original 15 days per the original plan.
What that means is northbound Route 65 will not open to one lane between Route 60 and Battlefield Road until all of the northbound Route 65 pavement is complete.
Weather and/or construction delays could alter the work schedule. If the project is delayed, a decision could be made to open one northbound lane of Route 65 to Battlefield Road.
By allowing the contractor to keep northbound Route 65 closed, crews can move more quickly and efficiently to remove the old pavement, do the necessary grading of the pavement base, pour new concrete and get the lanes open to traffic.
During the northbound closings, all northbound Route 65 traffic will be diverted to Route 60 where detours are signed taking drivers east or west on U.S. Route 60.
East signed detour: Eastbound Route 60 to northbound Missouri Route 125 to I-44.
West signed detour: Westbound Route 60 to westbound Missouri Route 360 to I-44.
Local commuters can use Glenstone Avenue, Kansas Expressway or West Bypass to reach destinations.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION is expected on northbound Route 65 at the Route 60 interchange when the closings begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, September 6. Drivers are strongly urged to avoid northbound Route 65 until it reopens in mid-September.
Additional Information: Contractor crews plan to smooth ALL of the new concrete pavement using a diamond-grinding process at the end of the project. The work will take place at night with one lane closed at a time to complete the work beginning in mid-to-late September.
Here’s a look at the project schedule and traffic impacts:
- Sunday-Thursday, August 4-8 - COMPLETE
- All southbound lanes of Route 65 CLOSED between Sunshine Street and Battlefield Road
- Southbound on ramp from Sunshine Street to Route 65 CLOSED
- Southbound off ramp from Route 65 to Battlefield Road CLOSED
- Thursday-Friday, August 8-16 - COMPLETE
- All southbound lanes of Route 65 CLOSED between Battlefield Road and Route 60
- Southbound Route 65 OPEN between Sunshine Street and Battlefield Road, but reduced to one lane
- Southbound on ramp from Battlefield Road to Route 65 CLOSED
- Southbound Route 65-to-westbound Route 60 ramp CLOSED
All lanes of Route 65 open during the Labor Day holiday (Friday-Friday, August 16-September 6)
- Friday-Friday, September 6-20 (All northbound Route 65 closings could be completed as early as Saturday or Sunday, Sept. 14 or 15)
- All northbound lanes of Route 65 CLOSED between Route 60 and Sunshine Street
- Eastbound Route 60-to-northbound Route 65 ramp CLOSED
- Westbound Route 60-to-northbound Route 65 ramp CLOSED
- Northbound off ramp from Route 65 to Battlefield Road CLOSED
- Northbound on ramp from Battlefield Road to northbound Route 65 CLOSED
- Northbound off ramp from Route 65 to Sunshine Street CLOSED
- Route 60 crossovers CLOSED between Route 65 and Greene County Routes NN/J
- September 14-November 1
- Nighttime lane closings for shoulder construction/guardrail/pavement smoothing
- All Route 65 lanes open during daytime hours
Project highlights:
- Replace the two lanes of original concrete pavement on Route 65 between Sunshine Street and Route 60
- Replace a section of the southbound Route 65-to-westbound Route 60 ramp
- Upgrade guardrail between Sunshine Street and Route 60
- Rebuild asphalt shoulders in areas
The original concrete pavement between Sunshine Street and Route 60, built in the 1970s, has outlived its useful life and is deteriorating to the point where it must be replaced. The inside lane in each direction closest to the median is new pavement which was constructed in 2010-2011 when Route 65 was widened to six lanes. Also, no work is planned for ramp lanes built between Sunshine Street and Battlefield Road in 2015.
To complete the project quickly and safely requires Route 65 to be closed in sections to remove the old concrete pavement and replace it with new concrete.
The estimated total project cost is $8.1 million.
The overall project completion date is November 1, 2019. However, the closings of Route 65 will be complete by mid-to-late September.
The prime contractor is Emery Sapp and Sons, Inc. of Columbia.
Route 65: THE REBUILD History:
- Phase I: Replaced the original concrete pavement between Kearney Street and Sunshine Street. Completed in 2017. Total project cost: $7.9 million.
- Phase II: Replaced the original concrete pavement on southbound Route 65 between Valley Water Mill Road and Kearney Street and replaced the aging southbound Route 65 bridge over I-44. Completed in 2018. Total project cost: $4.3 million.
- With the completion of Phase III, all 1970s-era concrete pavement will have been replaced, the new pavement should last another 40-to-50 years with minimal maintenance.
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(For more information, call MoDOT in Springfield at 417-895-7600 or visit www.modot.org/southwest)
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