Drivers in Miller County, take note: a major resurfacing project is kicking off next week on U.S. Route 54 and it's going to stretch further than a marathon. Covering over 22 miles from the Cole County line right up to Missouri Route 242 near Lake Ozark, this isn’t just a slapdash layer of asphalt. Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is laying down the law with some shiny new median guard cables to match.
If you’re planning to zip through the eastbound lanes of the U.S. Route 54 near Missouri Route 52, south of Eldon next Wednesday, you’d best pencil in a few extra minutes, the crews are clocking in for their daylight shifts Monday to Friday, and while they promise to keep the road open there's going to be a cozy 12-foot width restriction that may cramp your style, and MoDOT's advice is clear: put the phone down, keep your eyes peeled, and give those orange cones a wide berth.
This isn’t pocket change we’re talking about here either; MoDOT's announcement states Capital Paving & Construction, LLC snagged a hefty $12.45 million contract to get this done, a deal sealed by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission back in the later months of '24. They’ve got until the frost hits the pumpkin in 2025 to wrap this up, or to be precise, December 1.
But here's the sticky part – this all hinges on Mother Nature keeping a sunny disposition, because a bout of bad weather could send those schedules into a tailspin if anything goes sideways we could be looking at changes so keep an eagle eye on the forecast and MoDOT’s updates.
