MoDOT OKs U-turn signs for Jackson's 34/72 project

U-turn signs? U-bet.

The Missouri Department of Transportation's District 10 office recently notified the city of Jackson that it would install U-turn signs at various sections of the Highway 34/72 widening project.

Local merchants along the stretch, primarily Alderman Joe Bob Baker who owns a salvage yard there, complained recently that the lack of signs would hurt business.

Baker, among others, said that the overwhelming majority of motorists don't know that a U-turn is a legal maneuver in the state of Missouri.

Originally, MoDOT officials didn't include the signs in the design. Project manager Eric Krapf said the signs didn't exist.

At a recent meeting, however, the board of aldermen directed the city staff to officially request the signs.

The city contacted traffic engineering firm of Crawford, Bunte, Brammeier -- the same firm used to conduct the city's comprehensive traffic plan. A CBB engineer told the city that MoDOT doesn't have a standard sign, other MoDOT districts have used such signs elsewhere in Missouri.

Specifically, districts in Kansas City and St. Louis have installed similar signs at several locations, CBB reported to the city.

Less than two weeks after the city sent the letter, Krapf wrote a letter to the city. In the letter, Krapf said the district was already talking with District 6 (St. Louis) officials. The District 10 traffic department is "studying all of the issues surrounding the proposed installation of these types of signs and should be prepared to submit an order to our sign shop in the near future," Krapf wrote.

The signs, Krapf wrote, will be installed, if possible, before the improvement is opened up to traffic.

"That was a must," Baker said after finding out about the sign approval. "Because people wouldn't have had any idea they could do that."

Sewer project begin soon

On Monday night, the Jackson Board of Aldermen will likely approve a bid to start the city's next big sewer project, the Elwanda Drive project.

The board will vote on a $525,143 bid from PR Developers. The project will begin in mid-July with a completion date sketched for October.

The board will also vote on a bid for the city's concrete repair program. The lowest bid came from Fronabarger's for $311,419. Roughly half of the contract will be paid for with Cape Girardeau County Road and Bridge money.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635