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October 30, 2009

Neosho roundabout gearing up

By Debbie Robinson

news@joplinglobe.com

NEOSHO, Mo. — A 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door hardtop was the first car to travel around a new roundabout that leads to a $2.3 million overpass on East South Street.

A 2009 Chevrolet Malibu followed.

Local officials, residents and business leaders Friday afternoon gathered for a ribbon-cutting to announce the completion of the project, but the town’s first roundabout and overpass won’t open to traffic for about a week, Mayor Jeff Werneke said.

“It won’t officially open until we get the striping,” he said. “Hopefully, by next Friday, it will be open.”

Werneke said the two vehicles selected to travel the roundabout signified the time span from the first discussion of the need of an overpass to connect the east side of town to the west side to today.

It was back in the late 1950s that community leaders began to focus on South Street as a road to link the two sides of town.

“This was a combination of good management, good guidance, responsibility and willingness to pay for it,” Werneke said.

In April 2007, voters approved a sales tax of one-eighth of a cent to pay off $3.5 million in bonds to finance four transportation projects, including the South Street overpass.

Officials estimated the total cost of overruns to be about $500,000.

In conjunction with the project, the city has approved closing of two railway crossings at Park and Daugherty roads — a move that rankled several residents who live on the east side of town.

Werneke said the crossings will remain open until sometime next spring.

Some residents voiced their concerns that they would be closed off from the west side of town.

Bonds also financed another project to connect the north and south side of town.

The extension of Howard Bush Drive to the south opened the roadway for motorists to travel to U.S. 60, Crowder College and businesses in the U.S. 60 corridor.

In a fitting tribute, during Werneke’s address about the project, a Kansas City Southern train rumbled northbound under the new overpass.

Gib Garrow, economic development director with the Neosho Chamber of Commerce, said the overpass represents a quality-of-life measure for Neosho residents, especially those who live east of the railroad tracks.

“When people come here, they’re looking for access,” he said. “There are a lot of nice houses on the east side, and now they have created a through street.”

Neosho resident Esther McKlintick Willard said she attended the official opening to see the new project.

A 66-year resident of Neosho, McKlintick said the project will make it easier to get to Neosho Boulevard, a major food and retail area.

“It’s going to make a change in Neosho,” she said.



Street ties

The roundabout linked to the South Street overpass ties into five Neosho streets.

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