December
29, 2004 - Three Northeast Missouri Highway Contractors
Win Statewide Awards
Three highway
contractors in Northeast Missouri have earned awards from
the Missouri Department of Transportation for their work
on state highway improvement projects. MoDOT Chief
Engineer Kevin Keith recently presented the awards to specialty,
light, medium and heavy volume contractors statewide who
performed work for the agency in 2003.
G & M Concrete
& Asphalt Co., Troy, MO earned an award for excellent
performance as a specialty contractor in the prosecution
and progress category; Harry H. Houf & Sons Contractors,
Inc., Mexico, MO earned an award for excellent performance
as a light volume contractor in the contract administration,
prosecution and progress categories; and Magruder Construction
Co., Inc., Eolia, MO earned an award for excellent performance
as a light volume contractor in the contract administration
and quality categories.
"These contractors
do great work," said David Ahlvers, MoDOT's state construction
and materials engineer. "They got projects done on time
and within budget, and they met or exceeded every standard
we set for them. And when everything is done right, it helps
us use resources efficiently, as well as delivers a great
product for the taxpayers."
The top award winners
performed well in all five categories: contract administration,
contract compliance, prosecution and progress, quality and
overall performance. The Overall Performance Awards
went to:
• Vance
Brothers, Inc., Kansas City, a light volume contractor;
• Burk
Bridge Company, Brookline Station, a medium volume contractor;
• Fred
Weber, Inc., Maryland Heights, a heavy volume contractor;
and
• Gershenson
Construction Company, Inc., Eureka, a specialty contractor.
Each year MoDOT officials
complete performance questionnaires to evaluate contractors.
The questionnaires contain more than 100 questions pertaining
to everything from following contract rules to passing field
tests to staying on schedule. Results from these questionnaires
determine award winners.
"The number of awards
we gave this year demonstrates the excellent work being
done by contractors," said Ahlvers. "In turn, the
quality of work ensures that Missouri motorists are getting
improvement projects that are up to their standards.
"With MoDOT's Smoother,
Safer, Sooner Amendment 3 program beginning in 2005, good
work from contractors will be more important than ever,"
Ahlvers added.
If you have any
questions about the project or others in your area, please
call MoDOT toll-free customer service center during normal
business hours at 1-888 ASK MODOT (275-6636).
December
27, 2004 - One Lane Traffic on Hermann Bridge
HANNIBAL - Traffic
will be reduced to one lane Monday through Wednesday, December
27 through 29 on the Missouri River Bridge at Hermann while
crews conduct a routine inspection. Motorists are
urged to slow down and use caution in and around the work
zone, delays should be expected. Crews will work
daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.
December
20, 2004 - Roadway Contract Awarded for Route 54 Work in
Audrain County
The Missouri Highways
and Transportation Commission recently awarded a transportation
improvement project for work on Route 54 in Audrain County.
Nearly 10 miles of Route 54 will be resurfaced and shoulders
will be paved between Route JJ and Scotts Corner.
Also, an eastbound turn lane will be built at Route B.
Before resurfacing, the existing asphalt will be removed
from the driving lanes. Three culverts will be extended
and new guardrail installed at the culverts and two bridges.
Bross Construction Company of Hannibal, Mo., was the successful
bidder on this project at $4,023,573.92. Work may
begin after Feb. 8 and is expected to be complete by next
fall.
December
20, 2004 - Resurfacing Contract Awarded for Interstate 70
in Warren County
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission recently
awarded a resurfacing contract for more than seven miles
of the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 in Warren County.
The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 will be resurfaced
from the Montgomery County line to Route 47 at Warrenton.
Before resurfacing, the existing asphalt will be
removed from the driving lanes.
Bross Construction Company of Hannibal,
Mo., was the successful bidder on this project at $3,895,918.03.
Work may begin after March 1 and is expected to be complete
by late summer.
December
20, 2004 - Safety, signage top priority for new Route 27
Since the opening
of Route 27 between Wayland and St. Francisville, there
have been some safety and signage issues identified by both
the communities and MoDOT. "We are addressing all
the safety concerns immediately," said MoDOT Operations
Engineer Ken Warbritton.
Warbritton indicated
that the paint used for striping the new highway failed
to meet MoDOT's specifications for reflectivity and coverage.
"The contractor will restripe these areas, including
the Rte. B crossover in St. Francisville," he explained.
"This should help with roadway visibility in that
area," he continued. The contractor will restripe
with a water-based paint, and in the spring repaint with
a permanent paint. At the crossovers, reflective
delineators, or white poles, and yellow reflectors will
be installed. "These improvements will help channelize traffic
and raises motorists' awareness of the crossover locations,"
Warbritton explained.
Another issue MoDOT
is addressing is the area where the divided highway portion
of Route 27 returns to a two-lane roadway just north of
the Fox River Bridge. "We have received reports that
some motorists were not following the signing and striping
as they traveled through this area," Warbritton said.
"These reports generated major safety concerns as improper
lane usage could result in head-on accidents," he continued.
Although the restriping will help, MoDOT also plans
to install reflective delineators to supplement the pavement
markings and aid motorists in this area.
"Apparently, some
drivers were still turning at the Rte. 136/Rte. 136 spur
intersection," Warbritton said. MoDOT has put up
a changeable message board to reinforce existing signs.
The Rte. 136 spur connection to Rte. 61 has been
removed, making Rte. 136 spur a dead-end road. Some
motorists also were mistakenly exiting off Route 27 to Route
136 in an effort to reach Route 61. MoDOT placed
a changeable message board for southbound Route 27 traffic
to inform them to continue traveling south to reach Route
61. "Many times when new sections of roads open,
it takes motorists time to adjust because they have to change
their driving habits and take a different path," Warbritton
said.
St. Francisville
is receiving some new signing, letting motorists know they
have arrived in the community. Green and white community
boards will be installed at either end of the populated
area along Rte. 27. MoDOT is also installing signs
at the Rte. B crossover and the outer road so motorists
will be aware of convenience services such as fuel and food.
Another item MoDOT
is working on is installation of the fence along Rte. 27.
More than .5 mile of fencing will keep an endangered
turtle species off the highway. This fence is south
of the interchange on the east side of the highway and is
being installed along MoDOT right of way.
"We appreciate comments and concerns that are brought to our
attention," Warbritton said.
December 20, 2004 - Archeological
investigations begin in Lewis County
Activity has begun
near the new highway location along Route 61 in Lewis County
as archeologists gather information to reconstruct ways
of Indian tribal life as far back as 5,000 to 10,000 years
ago. "We identified the sites through archeological
survey several years ago, but now we are using a process
of trenching and core drilling so that we can determine
specific areas where digs can occur next spring," explained
MoDOT Archeologist Larry Ayres. The Lewis County
excavation should be complete next year. Then, archeologists
will move into Clark County once the land has been acquired
there.
"Right now we are
gathering information and have found some artifacts," he
continued. He mentioned that the items found in these
areas have much more historical than monetary value.
"While there is always potential for human remains, we do
not anticipate any burial grounds within the project area
in either Lewis or Clark County," he stressed. During
the planning stages, MoDOT attempted to avoid locations
that appeared to have a strong potential to disturb burials.
If any human remains are identified, there are both
state and federal laws that will direct how they will be
treated. In the case of prehistoric burials, the
Federal Highway Administration would be responsible for
contacting the appropriate Indian Tribes.
Depending on weather
and land acquisition, the archeologists anticipate completing
the information gathering stage in Lewis County by the end
of 2004. "In January and February, we will research
our findings to determine which sites will be best for major
digging," Ayres said. MoDOT is working with Cultural
Resource Analysts, Inc. on what may be one of the largest
archeological digs MoDOT has ever completed.
Current findings
suggest there are 12 potential sites that are important
enough to require a major dig. However, MoDOT does
not typically perform major digs on all sites. "Our
goal is to determine which sites will provide the best information
for the least amount of money," Ayres explained.
He said that the methods being used usually suffice in reconstructing
habitat from thousands of years ago.
If it is possible
to provide safe parking and viewing areas, once the major
sites have been determined and the excavation is underway,
MoDOT will invite area residents and other interested parties
to on-site tours. "We will also attempt to document
all of the activities so we can provide education in the
classroom as well," Ayres stated.
December
7, 2004 - New four-lane highway to open Wednesday in Clark
County
By noon Wednesday,
MoDOT will open the new four-lane, known as Route 27 and
a section of the Avenue of the Saints, in Clark County.
In Missouri, seven
miles of new highway were built between the Route 136 spur
and the Iowa state line. The project included two
new bridges over the DesMoines River which was funded by
both MoDOT and Iowa DOT. The bridges connect with
a two-lane highway in Iowa to the the Donnellson four-lane
bypass, then returns to two-lane highway to Mount Pleasant.
The highway from the Mount Pleasant bypass to the Minnesota
border in four lane. According to Larry Jackson, Iowa
DOT District Engineer, about this time next year, the rest
of the Iowa Avenue of the Saints will be four lane.
Missouri has 14.5 miles remaining to become four lane on
the Avenue between Canton and the Route 136 spur, and all
is slated to be complete by 2010.
The new highway
that will open costs approximately $25 million, including
the bridges over the Des Moines River. Emery Sapp
and Sons, Inc. was the contractor who built the bridge,
while Freesen, Inc. performed the grading and interchange
bridge work. Fred Carlson, Inc. is the general contractor
who did the paving and oversaw the striping and sign installation.
More than 300
people attended a dedication ceremony held last Friday in
anticipation of the highway opening this week.
December
9, 2004 - Culvert Replacement Scheduled in Audrain County
Weather permitting, Friday, December 10 from 8
a.m. to 3 p.m., MoDOT crews will close Route Y, approximately
1 mile south of the Monroe County line, for a culvert replacement.
Motorists are urged to use alternate
routes during this time.
