City considers U.S. 63 bypass
Mariah Bohanon
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: News
|
Dan Niec, district engineer for northern central Missouri under MoDOT, spoke at the Kirksville City Council meeting Oct. 23 about an opportunity to receive funding for a bypass of North 63 highway. The funding would come from excess funds that the Department of Transportation is making available for MoDOT districts that require the construction of major projects, Niec said.
"This is not a done deal," Niec said. "This is a competitive process."
Niec said criterion of receiving funding from this money is the intent to have a "local match." This guarantees that the local community is willing to match the amount of money that MoDOT pays for a project, he said.
Niec said his proposal to City Council called for $28.5 million for a two-lane bypass. MoDOT would pay for half of the costs, or about $14 million, he said. The remaining half of the costs would be split evenly between the city and the local MoDOT district, he said.
"We hear quite often about the issues of congestion on North 63," Niec said.
The proposal for the two-lane bypass was developed because nothing else can be done to Baltimore Street to allow for more traffic, he said. The idea for a bypass through Kirksville has been discussed for the last 20 years, he said.
He said MoDOT purchased land for such a project in the 1990s.
Niec said he spoke to City Council last week to try to gain support for the project. Further action by MoDOT would require the city to acknowledge that it is willing to pursue the project, Niec said. He said the city does not need to make a firm commitment until an election can be held to vote on whether or not to fund the required one-fourth of the $28.5 million.
Kris McKim, assistant city manager, said the proposed project is substantially less than an original design for a four-lane freeway. That bypass would have cost an estimated $67.9 million, according to an Adair County document that details the alternative routes for North 63.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
braundmeier
Kyle Braundmeier
posted 11/01/07 @ 8:01 AM CST
I remember visiting the campus in the fall of 1989 and being told that a bypass was in the works. Eighteen years later, it is still being debated. As far as I'm concerned, I already use a Kirksville bypass to go from Iowa to St. (Continued…)
spounders
posted 11/01/07 @ 2:56 PM CST
I think a bypass past the highway is a bad idea. There is no reason to try to hide or 'bypass' a highway that we just created and expanded recently. Chances are the bypass would rip through the countryside developing areas that are relatively underdeveloped at this point. (Continued…)
garret
posted 2/24/08 @ 1:53 PM CST
A 63 bypass would not solve the congestion currently facing Kirksville, the majority of the congestion occurs around the time of release of the Kirksville schools, a bypass to the east of town would not help with this as the population of the town would still drive on the current baltamor/63 route. (Continued…)
Post a Comment