The Missouri Department of Transportation plans a project to improve safety at a dangerous at-grade intersection on U.S. 50 east of town, near the Missouri Highway Patrol's Troop F headquarters.
MoDOT is pressing ahead with the $430,000 project, slated for next summer, despite some concerns from residents.
The project will reconstruct/realign the location where South Shamrock Road intersects with U.S. 50, and Shamrock's connection to Liberty Lane.
It also will:
- Construct acceleration lanes at North Shamrock Road and at the new Liberty Lane intersection.
- Build a right turn lane at the new Liberty Lane intersection.
- Add an eastbound offset left turn in the median.
- Remove two median crossovers.
The project will close the intersection of Liberty with 50/63 and the intersection of Liberty with Shamrock Road during construction. Motorists will need to find alternate routes around the project. Short-term lane closures on 50/63 may also be necessary during construction. The intersection improvements will be
constructed in coordination with resurfacing of 50/63 from the Moreau River to the Osage River.
No additional right-of-way will be needed.
MoDOT Central District Engineer Dave Sylvester said the work is needed to increase safety and reduce accidents.
Some area residents, he acknowledged, are concerned they won't be able to drive from the south side of the highway across the median to go west toward Jefferson City. Instead, they'll have to get onto U.S. 50 east to Militia Drive before turning east.
But he said the change is designed to prevent T-bone crashes when cars cross the eastbound lanes of U.S. 50. Such accidents have occurred in recent years, but no fatalities have occurred, he said. Adding acceleration lanes also will reduce the potential for rear-end crashes on the north side of the intersection, he said.
MoDOT officials said east-side development, such as the Walmart Supercenter, along with the four-laning of U.S. 50 to Linn, have had little to no bearing on the changes they are proposing.
From Jan. 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2015, a total of 47 accidents occurred at this intersection with the majority, 37, occurring during the day. There were six accidents where severe injuries occurred, 13 minor injury accidents and 28 involved only property damage. No fatal accidents were reported.
On Aug. 25, 2015, a 12-hour traffic count at the intersection shows 9,731 vehicles traveled crossed the intersection going east and 8,690 crossed going west.
MoDOT officials said most of the attendees at a public informational meeting in July had had favorable comments, but residents who submitted written comments were not entirely in favor.
Thomas Smith, who lives on Liberty Road, complained MoDOT didn't tell area residents about the project sooner.
"It is backward logic to think area residents must use Militia overpass and the industrial employees are allowed to use a residential crossover rather than the overpass," he said. "Your design would add 2.2 miles and three minutes, assuming there is no traffic at the stop sign on Militia, to every trip into Jefferson City."
Keith Frock, who lives on Tyrone Drive, wrote: "I agree it is not the perfect intersection, but this does not appear to be the best solution either. The traffic is bad for rush hour, but remove any variable and that will change the situation. And I may be the first to have an accident, no matter what is done."
"This project looks good on paper, but we have an overpass that has no use off the south end and there is only a short distance from Shamrock to the south of that overpass to connect," wrote Norbert Bax, who lives on Shamrock. "Let's look at doing this right. Completely close off the Shamrock intersection and that eliminates all accidents there, hook up the Militia overpass to Shamrock and build the needed outer road from Militia overpass to Shamrock on the north side."
Cole County Commissioners have said they like the safety improvements at Liberty Road/Shamrock Road and would also like to see an effort started to extend Militia Drive so it eventually would hook up with Route B to the south. They acknowledged that project would take several years to complete.
"I think that this is a great project and we should push to see this project completed," Western District Commissioner Kris Scheperle said. "This project is a good safety improvement and should be given serious consideration. This opportunity would open up future development and begin the extension of Militia Drive as a bypass to route M & B and 179. MoDOT has offered to help with this project and the County Commission is in full support of this project."
He also said Militia should be extended to Liberty in a fairly straight line to be used for a future extension to Routes M and B and Missouri 179.
"These major traffic routes will continue to open up other areas for development and growth throughout Cole County."
Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher also thought the project would be a good time to revisit the Militia Drive extension, but he acknowledged the "timing and support" didn't seem to work out.
"We would love to build a new interchange here, but we just don't have the money for it," Sylvester said, adding that the city and county haven't been able to commit needed funding either.