Get ready for a slower commute if you're traveling through Phelps and Dent counties next week—the asphalt is getting a facelift. MoDOT has announced a scheduled resurfacing project starting on Route H, stretching from U.S. Route 63 in Phelps County to Missouri Route 72 in Dent County, and on Phelps County Route M from U.S. Route 63 to Route J. Meanwhile, Willard Asphalt Paving Inc., having been awarded the contract, will be handling this much-needed improvement.
Crews are kicking off the work on the west end of Route H and will head east towards Route 72, after which their attention will swing to Route M. Eager to prevent the chaos of construction, the routes during the project will be narrowed, where flaggers and a pilot car will steer traffic through the work zone—a logistical dance of neons and stop-go cues that hopes to minimize the inevitable frustration. All this is set with the goal of a complete wrap by the end of May, as stated by MoDOT.
A whole 30.5 miles of road is set for a new surface, an endeavor aiming to smooth the ride for drivers and prolong the lifespan of these travel arteries that vein through the heart of Missouri's transport routes. However, it's not all just pour and pave—safety measures are paramount, as MoDOT "asks all motorists to work with us by buckling up, putting your phone down, obeying all traffic signs, and slowing down and moving over in work zones."
Mindfulness while maneuvering through these zones is a non-negotiable: MoDOT urges drivers to exercise extra caution, keeping eyes peeled for signage and hands free from mobile accord, an anticipatory embrace of diligence for one's own sake and that of the workers playing their part in the life of our roads. "Motorists are advised to use extra caution through work zones, obey all traffic signs, and avoid any distractions," the department reminds us.
