Contractor Accelerates Schedule for Northbound Route 65
Closings for Pavement Reconstruction
SPRINGFIELD –– Emery Sapp and Sons, Inc., is the contractor rebuilding the 1970s-era, original concrete pavement on U.S. Route 65 between Sunshine Street and U.S. Route 60 in Springfield, and currently has plans to accelerate the completion of the northbound side of the project.
The acceleration will increase safety for drivers and construction workers and reduce the inconvenience to drivers, businesses and others who live and work in southeast Springfield, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.
MoDOT has agreed to the plan which will require northbound Route 65 to be closed between Route 60 and Sunshine Street ‘round the clock for up to 10 days, instead of the original 15 days per the original plan.
What that means is northbound Route 65 will not open to one lane between Route 60 and Battlefield Road until all of the northbound Route 65 pavement is complete.
By allowing the contractor to keep northbound Route 65 closed, crews can move more quickly and efficiently to remove the old pavement, do the necessary grading of the pavement base, pour new concrete and get the lanes open to traffic.
During the northbound closings, all northbound Route 65 traffic will be diverted to Route 60 where detours are signed taking drivers east or west on U.S. Route 60.
East signed detour: Eastbound Route 60 to northbound Missouri Route 125 to I-44.
West signed detour: Westbound Route 60 to westbound Missouri Route 360 to I-44.
Local commuters can use Glenstone Avenue, Kansas Expressway or West Bypass to reach destinations.
Traffic congestion is expected on northbound Route 65 at the Route 60 interchange when the closings begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6.
Drivers are strongly urged to avoid northbound Route 65 until it reopens in mid-September.
In addition, contractor crews plan to smooth ALL of the new concrete pavement using a diamond-grinding process at the end of the project. The work will take place at night with one lane closed at a time to complete the work beginning in mid-to-late September.
