BOONE COUNTY – A Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) project aimed at reducing the number of crashes along U.S. Route 63 in Boone County will begin Monday, April 19. Work will take place at several intersections between Route H and Route M/Y near Ashland.
On average, more than 30,000 vehicles travel this stretch of roadway at high speeds each day. Turns onto and off-of the roadway, which often involve vehicles crossing paths at right angles, pose a considerable risk for serious and fatal injury crashes.
Deceleration lanes, acceleration lanes and other intersection reconfigurations, including J-turns, are being installed to enhance safety at multiple intersections. A contractor for MoDOT will be making changes at the intersections of Route 63 at Angel Lane, Minor Hill Road, Martin Lane, New Salem Lane, and Loy Martin Road.
The installation of J-turns has proven to help eliminate right-angle crashes and has been shown to reduce injury and fatal accidents by more than fifty percent. More information about J-turns is available at www.modot.org/j-turns.
Construction on the intersections will begin on Monday, April 19. Work will take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. This process will require occasional single lane closures at each work location and some delays are possible. MoDOT is encouraging drivers to watch for work zones, obey all traffic signs and allow plenty of room for workers on the road.
This project is expected to be complete by the end of the year. More information and updates are available at www.modot.org/Route63Intersections.
Work is weather permitting and could be delayed. For more information about this project or other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/central. Follow the MoDOT Central Missouri District on Facebook or Twitter for project updates.
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