Summer project at U.S. 60, Hwy. 174 will ease traffic issues

If you have driven through Republic on Highway 60 lately, you more than likely have noticed the heavy traffic at the intersection of U.S. Highway 60 and Highway 174, especially between the peak traffic times of 7-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. According to information provided by Republic City Administrator David Cameron, about 32,000 vehicles cross the intersection each day on business days, causing a large amount of congestion at the intersection.
To improve the flow of traffic, the Missouri Department of Transportation, the project sponsor, plans to make improvements to the intersection in the summer of 2020. Andrew Nelson, public works director, said the preliminary drawings of the improvements show an increase of turn lanes at the intersection, though plans are not complete yet.
“MODOT has internal traffic engineering staff that review functionality of intersections and signals,” Nelson said. “The intersection will be studied for the best, most practical improvements.”
Nelson said the improvements will not only help traffic flow at the intersection, but will also encourage traffic to move faster at other intersections along Highway 60.
“The benefit will be far more noticeable for those wishing to access U.S. 60 from Highway 174, as there will be multiple turns lanes for vehicles merging onto east bound U.S. 60,” he said. “The secondary benefits will be the reduced build-up of traffic on U.S. 60, which will benefit every other intersection along 60 in Republic. The faster cars can move in, around and through Republic, the better every intersection will function.”
Cameron said bids for the project will be issued in May, and construction is expected to begin in July of 2020. He added that after the improvements at the intersection are complete, there will be other projects to continue to increase the flow of traffic.
“Our community is growing at a steady pace and U.S. 60 is a priority corridor that must be protected,” Cameron said. “We do not desire additional traffic signals that will ultimately slow down commute time, therefore, the next targeted intersection that will need improvement or relocation is U.S. 60 and MM. It’s (also) worth noting that the city, in partnership with MODOT, (the Federal Highway Administration) and the Ozark Transportation Organization, are conducting a $550K traffic assessment of U.S. 60 through our community to James River Expressway and possibly further east.”