The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold off on making improvements to 11 routes throughout the Southeast District, a 14-county region. The only bid submitted for edge line rumble strips was rejected this week because it went over the department's budget for the project.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission did not award the contract at its regular meeting.

The commission did award a $556,616 contract to Apex Paving Co. in Cape Girardeau for a Route K improvement project funded by stimulus money. Improvements, including a new 3/4-inch asphalt surface, will extend from Siemers Drive to Kingshighway. Workers will restripe the section and add a lane from Siemers Drive to Mount Auburn Road. Crews have started making changes to the road.

The project is expected to take a month to complete once workers start treating the road's surface, with work completed this summer.