20th Street from Indiana to New Hampshire to close beginning July 10

(From the City of Joplin)

Starting Friday, July 10, East 20th Street will be closed to traffic from Indiana Avenue to New Hampshire Avenue as the construction of the railroad overpass continues. 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.

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.
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.

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.