JOPLIN, Mo. — Randall and Barbara Switzer, of Silver Creek Village, wanted to see how a diverging-diamond interchange would work on Range Line Road at Interstate 44 where a four-leaf clover design now exists.

Said Randall Switzer: “We basically wanted to know: How does it work?”

After spending some time Tuesday night with representatives of the Missouri Department of Transportation during a public meeting on the estimated $9 million project, they said they thought they got their questions answered.

“I think it will be better than what we are doing now,” Randall Switzer said. “It will be a lot safer, and it will move traffic better.”



SOONER AND LATER

Switzer, who travels through the interchange most every day, said the construction work, which could begin in September, might cause him “to start to work sooner in the day and get home a little later.”

Because he passes through the intersection so frequently, he knows where the trouble spots are for merging traffic. One of those spots is where traffic flows off the interstate and heads north on Range Line. Motorists have little space to merge with northbound traffic on Range Line.

“If you are going north on Range Line, you had better get in the left lane or you are in trouble,” he said, noting that the new interchange would solve that problem.



‘PIECE OF CAKE’

Barbara Switzer said she was a bit intimidated when she drove through her first diverging-diamond interchange in Springfield.

“But the second time I went through it, it was a piece of cake,” she said.

Among the 20 or so people who attended the meeting was Marty Wheelen, with Wheelen RV Center, 4301 S. Range Line Road. Wheelen said he was there to check out how the construction might affect his business, which has been at that location since 1974.

“It will affect everybody out here,” he said. “They’ll have to shut things down with this construction, and that could affect us. When people can’t get in and out, it kind of flusters them. We hope it’s not too much of a disruption to traffic.”

Wheelen said he also is concerned about a median that extends south from the interchange. He said he does not want the median to be extended farther to the south.

A MoDOT representative said there will be times when parts of Range Line will be shut down in connection with the work, specifically the replacement of two I-44 bridges. But those shutdowns will take place at night when traffic flow is low.

Those attending the meeting could watch two animated videos that presented an aerial view of the interchange and a driver’s view of the interchange. Those videos may be viewed at MoDOT’s website at modot.org/southwest.

Those attending also viewed aerial photographs of the interchange. One showed that three fatality accidents and five disabling crashes had occurred at the interchange since 2006. All but one of those accidents was associated with merging traffic on the four-leaf clover.



TRAFFIC COUNTS

Another aerial photograph showed how daily traffic flow is expected to increase on the interstate and Range Line. Westbound traffic on the interstate could increase from 16,020 vehicles daily this year to 22,380 daily in 2032, according to MoDOT. Eastbound traffic on the interstate could increase from 15,640 daily this year to 21,850 daily in 2032.

Southbound traffic on Range Line could increase from 12,200 vehicles daily this year to 17,050 daily in 2032. Northbound traffic on Range Line could increase from 12,440 vehicles daily this year to 17,330 daily in 2032.

MoDOT officials said the redesign is being undertaken to improve safety and improve traffic flow. In September 2009, the city of Joplin raised concerns about safety at the interchange and let the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission know that it thought time was running out for the interchange. The interchange was completed in 1962.





Written comments



THE PUBLIC MEETING was held Tuesday at MoDOT’s Joplin regional office, 2915 S. Doughboy Drive. Comments about the project may be submitted electronically by visiting MoDOT’s website at modot.org/southwest. Comments will be taken until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31.