HANNIBAL – By late fall, drivers using U.S. Route 54 in Audrain County can look forward to a new roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 54/MO 19/Route J, just north of Laddonia. The Missouri Department of Transportation and its contractor will begin construction on the roundabout in the next few weeks. “The new roundabout will improve safety at this intersection and be similar to the one at Scott’s Corner, approximately 7 miles south of the project,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Area Engineer Jeff Kroner.
The public informational meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 1, from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at City Hall in Laddonia, MO located at 301 East 1st Street. This will be an open-house style meeting. Individuals are welcome to stop by anytime during the meeting to visit with MoDOT representatives about the project. “There will be several displays showcasing the project detail,” said Kroner. “We encourage individuals to stop by, as well as, sign up for email and text alerts to stay up-to-date on the project,” he added. All information shown at the public meeting will be available online the day of the meeting at https://www.modot.org/roundabouts-us-route-54.
The construction will be done under traffic, with the exception of a two-week closure of U.S. 54 scheduled following the Labor Day holiday. During this closure, a detour will be in place directing traffic over MO 154 to MO 19. In addition, the access to Route J and the radius from northbound U.S. 54 to eastbound U.S. 54 will be closed for the duration of the project. “We understand closures and the temporary detour will be inconvenient, yet these are necessary for the construction of intersection improvements and to provide safety for drivers and construction workers as well,” explained Kroner.
Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc. was awarded the contract by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission earlier this year for $4,117,988 with a completion date of December 1, 2022.
MoDOT will alert the public about the project through signs, news releases and social media. For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org to receive the latest statewide news and text alerts, signup for e-updates.