Amazon pledges $4.4 million for upgrades

By: 
Steve Chapman

Amazon’s incoming fulfillment center in Brookline takes shape, as shown in this aerial photo taken last week. The development will increase traffic dramatically, and require an upgrade in nearby roadways. An expense Amazon will be footing.
(Photo courtesy of City of Republic)

Major build easier to swallow with needed road improvements
 
Even as construction proceeds on their new fulfillment center, Amazon also plans to spend $4.4 million to upgrade a portion of MM Highway that will run outside of the new facility. The company plans to upgrade the part of the highway that runs between James River Freeway and Farm Road 160.
Mike Landis, Public Information Officer for Republic, explained what some of the improvements would look like.
“Currently, MM is a three-lane highway … from Carnahan Street, south past the James River Freeway interchange to Sawyer Road,” he said. “Improvements call for extending the three lanes from Sawyer south to Farm Road 160, just north of the Magellan Pipeline facility. Haile Street will be also realigned slightly to the south to replace the current angled intersection with a straighter, 90-degree version. In addition, stop signals will be added on MM at the westbound James River Freeway off ramp, Sawyer Road and Haile Street. These intersections will also have new turn lanes.”
 Landis said the upgrades will not only benefit Amazon, but the public as a whole.
“The improvements are needed to handle the large amount of traffic expected to be generated by the facility,” he said. “As it stands, even before Amazon’s arrival, MM is already in need of upgrades. After it opens next year, there will be hundreds of Amazon employees traveling to and from the facility each day. Hundreds of semi-trucks will also be rolling in and out. This will be a significant increase over current traffic levels. The road improvements will not only benefit Amazon-related traffic, but also the thousands of other people who currently travel the corridor on a daily basis.”
Landis also said the city played a role in the planning process, but will not participate in the actual construction of the upgrades.
“Following approval from the city council, we entered into a developer’s agreement with the builder for the improvements,” he said. “However, since this is a MoDOT corridor, the city will not have a hand in the construction itself. We have been working with the developer and state during the planning process.”
Landis said he didn’t know when construction would begin, but said he expected the timeline to be tied to the construction of the fulfillment center.
“With Amazon set to be open in 2021, we expect road work will begin sometime within the coming months,” he said.
 

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Lawrence County Record

312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com

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