Rand McNally will soon put another pretty blue line on its Missouri road maps, as Kansas City adds one more interstate to the network of connections that already make the region a transportation hub.
The 180-mile stretch of U.S. 71 from south Kansas City to Joplin and beyond will become Interstate 49 once the last few finishing touches are completed by early November. The official designation is scheduled for noon on Dec. 12, as in 12-12-12-12.
It will be a major milestone toward the long-sought goal of a direct interstate connection all the way to New Orleans. For points south of Kansas City, it will mean an interstate connection, via I-29, all the way to Manitoba.
Aside from convenience and increased safety — no more at-grade crossings — the new interstate is expected to be a boon to the economies of the cities and towns it connects.
“This is a tremendous opportunity,” said Michael Collins, president of the Kansas City Port Authority, which is promoting the redevelopment of the old Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base as a major intermodal freight facility.
“With regional, national and multinational firms that are looking for logistics centers, many times their first question is, ‘What’s the interstate connectivity?’ ”
In Joplin, still rebuilding after the devastating tornado and a city where 8 percent of all jobs are tied to transportation, it is also a most welcome development.
“For Joplin to go from one interstate to two, or communities between Kansas City and Joplin to say they are now on an interstate, it really creates a sense of connectivity, which we believe will bring economic growth,” said Rob O’Brian, president of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We saw the central part of the country become the crossroads of America after the other interstates were built,” said Saul Gonzalez, Con-way chief operating officer. “And the new interstate will only improve that.”
Gutierrez also predicted that more federal dollars for economic development will flow to the new interstate corridor. Another bonus, he said, will be increased tourism to and from Kansas City.
Heavy trucks such as 18-wheelers make up 30 percent of the traffic on U.S. 71 now, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation, and the route is the second busiest freight artery out of Kansas City. That traffic is expected to increase once the highway becomes an interstate.
U.S. 71 is already a divided highway with a 70 mph speed limit. But becoming an interstate means more than just planting the familiar blue-and-red shields on the shoulders.
The key difference is the elimination of all intersections with cross roads that can slow traffic and cause deadly accidents. That’s as important for locals as it is for travelers. Ask students and parents in the Archie, Mo., school district, where buses now safely use a new overpass to cross the busy highway.
MoDOT has awarded $63.3 million in contracts since 2009 to remove all at-grade crossings between Kansas City and Joplin. That has meant building four new overpasses and nine new interchanges as well as three outer road projects.
Most of the Missouri projects were funded with an 80 percent contribution from the federal government. Four projects were funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Missouri was prepared to build its portion of the bypass, estimated at $40 million, until Arkansas said it did not have the money to do its part. That’s when the Missouri highway commission decided to shift its focus and money to the section north of Joplin.
“We do not want to build a four-lane freeway that dead-ends at the state line,” said Sean Matlock, MoDOT’s manager for the I-49 project.
MoDOT Motor Carrier Services is extending the waiver for some Overweight permits from Aug. 31, 2012 to Nov. 30 2012.
MoDOT will allow heavier than normal loads of corn and other crop silage and baleage to be hauled on selected Missouri highways. Private and for-hire motor carriers may carry up to 10 percent more than their licensed weight, however, the heavier loads are not allowed to use interstate routes or national defense highway routes.
Farmers who determine their corn, milo, hay and other crops will not bear a harvest often cut, chop and transform the plants into food for livestock.
Overweight permits are not required for these slightly overweight loads. All other traffic and motor carrier regulations that normally apply remain in place. This extended waiver is in effect from noon, Aug. 31, 2012 to Nov. 30, 2012.
While the waiver is in effect, participating motor carriers are limited to:
All travelers are advised to visit the MoDOT Traveler Information Map at http://www.modot.org/ for up-to-date road closure information.
Copyright 2012 Kansas City Missouri & Kansas Trucking News. All rights reserved.