I-29 opening in NW Mo. gives hope to businesses

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - The opening of Interstate 29 in northwest Missouri is giving businesses hope that customers will return after a summer of being rerouted because of flooding.

Sections of the interstate were closed for nearly four months after the Missouri River flooded. The section from Rock Port, Mo., to near Pacific Junction, Iowa, reopened Saturday. Some state highways remain closed.

The St. Joseph News-Press reports (http://bit.ly/mYcbO) that the closing hit Squaw Creek Eagle's Nest near Mound City hard. The complex closed its gas station and hotel this summer because of a lack of traffic.

Holt County Clerk Kathy Kunkel says she's seen a small increase in traffic since Saturday. But she says the closing cost the county $100,000 of its annual budget. And she doesn't expect a big improvement until next summer.

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Information from: St. Joseph News-Press, http://www.stjoenews-press.com