I-49 project nears completion in southern Vernon County

The Vernon County Commission met with Missouri Department of Transportation area engineer Darin Hamelink on Tuesday and received an update on the progress of the Interstate 49 project that is nearing completion in the county.

The main purpose of Hamelink's visit was to inform the commission that Gray Road, just north of the Marmaton River and a little south of the D Highway interchange would be permanently closed soon. Workers were using a track hoe on the west side of the freeway on Tuesday to dig up the pavement and eliminate access to the highway from Gray Road.

Hamelink told the commission that blacktop road would be "the only permanent closure we're going to have." He said the state would put up guardrail and reflectors but recommended the county install no outlet signs at an appropriate location to the west.

Presiding Commissioner Bonnie McCord told Hamelink that it is the township's responsibility to put the signage on the road. If the county puts up the signs they are liable. "If we put up any traffic control signs, it would remove our immunity," said McCord. Hamelink said that he would contact Osage Township officials and recommend that they put the signs on the road. The discussion went to the to new overpass just to the north of the Marmaton River.

Northern Commissioner Neal Gerster asked Hamelink "why did we put the overpass south of D?" Hamelink told him it was "because of the Marmaton River" and that it would "tie the outer road together" as well as to give people living on Indian Line Road, access to the outer road. Gerster also noted that commissioners had some questions about the outer road as well. "We have a bridge on that road that's in really bad shape," said Gerster, referring to an old bridge on the outer road that goes across the Marmaton River and continues south to M Highway.

It was quickly determined that the bridge is not the county's responsibility.

"That's our bridge," Hamelink said. He also said that he doubted if there had been anything programed into the project for the structure. Gerster mentioned that the outer road was for heavy equipment traffic and that he didn't know how much traffic the bridge would take.

"It needs to be included in this project really bad," Gerster said. Hamelink assured the commission that he would check into the matter.

Before the meeting began, Hamelink said that all of the project work south of Nevada will be finished by the end of the year if not before.

"We're actually doing pretty good on time," Hamelink said. And most of the work seems to be coming in about "10 percent under budget."

He said that about the only thing left in Vernon County portion of the project would be the interchange project at TT Highway on the north edge of the county. Hamelink did not have any details on that segment of the project.