Get ready to tap the brakes and adjust your routes if you're cruising through Dallas, Hickory, or Polk counties starting the week of March 24. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, a series of lane closures and potential traffic delays will be the new norm as a resurfacing project gets underway, part of an initiative to revamp the state's rural roads. The project is set to target roughly 1,700 lane miles of roads that are currently in rough shape, aiming to lay down new life on the lanes we often take for granted.
The project, backed by Gov. Parson's Rural Road program, flanks out thanks to the state's Fiscal Year 2023 budget, which chipped in an additional $100 million in General Revenue. With MoDOT's asset management data, they've been able to quite literally pave the way forward. This isn't just a facelift; it's a necessity. Crews will be out there adding a new overlay of asphalt, topping it off with permanent striping and the buzz of rumble strips to a series of routes, detailed list courtesy of MoDOT's recent announcement.
If you're planning to drive these ways, be prepared for some one-lane fun where crews are laying down that fresh asphalt. Flaggers and pilot cars will be your guides; wait for that pilot vehicle before trying to scoot through the zone or when hopping in from a side road. And if your car's kissing the curb, better rethink your parking spot to keep the path clear for crews to do their thing. The work hours are clear as daylight – Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. – and once the moon's out, all lanes are yours again as they down tools for the night. And, because life's never easy, there's no signed detour to lead you 'round – finding an alternate path is on you.
The hustle doesn't hush at balancing the blacktop ballet, MoDOT’s ears are to the skies – weather and scheduling shifts could switch up the whole shebang. But for now, the face of these humble roads is set for a glow-up. APAC-Central Inc. out of Springfield is the prime contractor putting their backs into this $4.1 million dollar dance, set to take their final bow by November 1. So, dial into MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map before you venture forth.
