The state Transportation Department has $5 million in federal funding it can use to improve 11 grade-level intersections along U.S. 54 in Cole County, between the Missouri 179/Route B interchange just south of Jefferson City and the Missouri 17 interchange at Eugene.
Thursday, MoDOT plans a series of "informational workshops" to discuss possible changes to those intersections, which - the department said in a news release - have "experienced a high number of intersection crashes that resulted in fatalities and severe injuries."
MoDOT wants public input and comment on its ideas to modify the intersections and reduce those crashes.
So it's holding a public hearing beginning at 3:30 p.m., in the Cole County R-5 elementary school cafeteria, 14803 Highway 17, in Eugene.
Parking is available in the lot behind the elementary school cafeteria.
And the facility is accessible to the physically disabled.
The hearing will be conducted in the workshop format, with a new session starting every 15 minutes and the last session beginning at 6 p.m.
Each workshop session is expected to last about an hour, and will include a formal presentation by a member of the MoDOT project team about the intersections along the highway.
The public then will be asked to provide input and comment on the proposed improvement plans.
The presentations will be the same during each session.
"This meeting format is being used because we want people to see and learn not only about the intersection they use, but how each intersection affects the whole corridor," said Trent Brooks, MoDOT's Transportation Project Manager. "We're trying to improve safety for an entire area.
"We want to explain to people how we've arrived at these conclusions, and gather their comments and feedback."
The work to improve the corridor will begin later this year, and will take about a year to complete.
Tentative construction schedules will be discussed at Thursday's hearing.
All public hearing materials also will be available for viewing online, at www.modot.org/central, starting Friday.
Brooks noted the department will accept public comments on the plan through Jan. 21.
People who are disabled, and require special services at the public hearing, are asked to notify MoDOT's Jennifer Ranabargar, at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing - by calling 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or by using TTY 1-800-735-2966 for the hearing impaired - so that arrangements for those services can be made.
For more information about the public hearing, call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636).