If your evening plans involve a jaunt through central Missouri, be prepared for a detour. According to a recent advisory from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), there's a scheduled closure you'll want to note. The ramp from westbound U.S. Route 54 to northbound U.S. Route 63 will be getting a nighttime shutdown while crews tackle guardrail work. The closure is slated to start at 7 p.m. tonight, stretching until the bright and early hour of 6 a.m. the following day.
For drivers, this means a little extra time spent on the road, as alternate routes will become the temporary norm. MoDOT has warned that the roadwork is weather dependent, a factor that could shift the time table if Mother Nature decides to be fickle. Motorists are advised to factor in these potential changes when planning for travel. Every detour, every extra minute on the road, is of course, a nudge against the schedule we set in our minds—a schedule that rarely includes the unexpected work of maintenance.
Staying safe is the underlying message from MoDOT. The department has called upon drivers to take simple but crucial steps to ensure their well-being and that of the construction crews: buckle up, put your phone down, obey all traffic signs, and slow down and move over in work zones. It's a straightforward appeal to the communal sense of responsibility that rests at the heart of public safety.
