20th Street overpass work to begin June 15

(From the City of Joplin)

Work to widen New Hampshire Avenue will be the first phase of construction for the 20th Street overpass project, and will begin Monday, June 15. The overpass will take traffic over the railroad track located on 20th Street, just east of Wisconsin Avenue, providing a safer and more efficient system for both vehicular traffic and railway use.

Starting June 15, New Hampshire will be closed from 19th Street to just south of 20th Street for the widening work to be completed and the base strengthened to support the overpass structure. Following the completion of this work the project will move into the second phase which will close 20th Street from Indiana Avenue to New Hampshire. This road closure will be in effect until the project’s completion in the fall of 2016.

A detour route running along Connecticut Avenue, 32nd Street and Main Street will be utilized, and marked accordingly with traffic control signage. Access to properties immediately adjacent to the construction will be provided via other routes or temporary gravel surfacing.

“To reduce delays and enhance safety for train operators and highway users, separating the grade on this roadway is necessary,” said Nick Heatherly, Director of Public Works. “The design will not only help address these users, but will also add amenities for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling along this roadway. In addition, public safety vehicles will gain an additional east/west corridor to use in emergency situations.”

The railroad track is maintained by Kansas City Southern Railway with 15 trains passing through Joplin on this railway each day, with speeds up to 50 miles per hour. Projections show an increase of up to 29 trains per day on this rail within 20 years.

Businesses and residences in these areas will be notified of upcoming work, and will have access to their properties through other routes or a temporary gravel surface will be installed as needed.
Contractor for the project is APAC of Missouri, Inc. Construction costs are $5.5 million and is funded through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Joplin’s Capital Improvement Sales Tax (CIST) revenues will be used for a portion of the construction and for the design and right of way costs of $2.8 million. The Capital Improvement Sales Tax was originally passed in 2004 and voters renewed it in 2014.

The City will post construction updates, including the recommended detour route, on its website. To view the detour route, click on the link at the end of this article.



To view detour during 20th St Bridge project...