Highway TT at U.S. 71 to close in August

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Nevada Daily Mail

Vernon County Highway TT at U.S. 71 Highway, north of Nevada, is scheduled to close on Monday, Aug.13, and will remain closed through early November for interchange construction work, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.

Drivers on Highway TT will have to find alternate routes around the closing. Drivers can use Bates County Highway B at Rich Hill to access U.S. 71.

The interchange project is part of the upgrading of U.S. 71 to Interstate 49 between Kansas City and Pineville, which has been ongoing for several years. MoDOT is working toward achieving interstate designation along the highway by the end of 2012.

The prime contractor on the interchange project is APAC-Hilty of Clinton, doing the work for a low bid amount of $4.6 million.

The project is scheduled for completion in early December.

The interchange construction at Highway TT is in the final group of U.S. 71 projects needed before the highway can be designated as I-49.

An interchange and two overpasses will be built this year in Cass County and one more outer road project will be built in Bates County near Rich Hill to complete the conversion.

In other construction activity, the project to replace the West Fork Clear Creek bridge on Vernon County Route K south of Route 54 east of Nevada is scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 6.

Vernon County Highway K will be closed at the bridge until early November, to allow crews to tear down the existing bridge and replace it with a new structure.

Drivers will be able to get into and out of driveways and reach county road entrances on either side of the bridge during construction; but drivers will not be able to cross the bridge and will have to find alternate routes. Some options include Vernon County Highways AA, EE and C. No official detour will be signed.

Law enforcement, fire and ambulance agencies have been notified so they can plan how to respond to emergency calls when the bridge is closed.

The prime contractor for the bridge project is APAC-Missouri of Columbia, doing the work for a low bid amount of $645,305.

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