DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 10
At an initial public hearing in early December, some residents and property owners were disappointed in much of what they saw. Will a second public hearing set for next month feature updated plans addressing their concerns about the limited number of left hand turns allowed due to the design?
According to an engineer involved in the project, yes.
“Yes, we have modified the corridor to add two roundabouts so that it’s easier for people to access those businesses and homes,” Lindsey Chaffin with Great River Engineering told The Landmark in an email received early Tuesday morning.
Great River is working with the City of Platte City on the plan to expand Hwy. 92 to four lanes, east of Interstate 29 to Bethel Road.
Chaffin did not immediately answer a follow-up inquiry asking where exactly on the stretch of highway those two roundabouts will be located.
It is also unclear at this point how the addition of two roundabouts may impact the estimated cost of the project, currently listed at $20 million.
The possibility remains that some business owners and customers on the south side of the highway who want to head west (turn left) toward I-29 may have to turn east before finding the nearest roundabout and circling back to the west.
A second open house/public hearing is set for Monday, March 10 at City Hall in Platte City.
“This is a follow-up open house for the Missouri Department of Transportation and Great River Engineering to share alterations to the original design. The updated design plan is anticipated to “incorporate many of the public comments and suggestions brought forth during and following the Dec. 4 open house,” a Facebook post by the City of Platte City says.
There will be no formal presentations, but participants may attend the hearing at any time between 4-6 p.m. on March 10.
Comments will be accepted in the form of a written statement or providing an oral recorded statement, says a public notice advertising the event.
The project will expand a 1.3 mile stretch of Hwy. 92 east of Interstate 29 from two lanes to four lanes. Improvements are planned from Chapel Drive east to Bethel Road.
Preliminary design, easements and right of way acquisition are expected to begin in early 2025. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2025 and is expected to take about one year for completion, officials have told The Landmark.
PROPERTY ACCESS
At the first open house, some property owners were very disappointed to learn that a center median will prevent left hand turns at many portions of the corridor. Those concerns were passed along to engineers and to MoDOT.
In the initial design, for example, motorists leaving the Jackson Animal Clinic who want to head west toward I-29 would first need to go east and make a U-turn at the nearest possible intersection.
Earlier this week, neither the City of Platte City nor MoDOT seemed willing to comment on the record about the design changes that will be displayed at the March 10 open house.
“I just talked to city administrator Tom Cole (of Platte City) and he suggested any updates they have will be discussed at the public meeting. Please feel free to reach out to the city for any questions you have may have since it’s a city project,” said Ravi Neupane of MoDOT on Monday.
Cole had indicated to The Landmark last Friday that no information on the specifics of the updated design is yet ready for public dissemination, saying he didn’t know if “MoDOT is ready” to discuss the newest design.
In the initial design shown in December, the following intersections provided full access, allowing both left and right turns in and out:
*Chapel Drive.
*Platte International Commerce Center & Budget Rental.
*Platte International Commerce Center & Windmill Drive.
*The planned Nelly Hills subdivision and the Aberdeen residential development.
PROJECT FUNDING
The City of Platte City has been a leader in working for the project, with city officials–in particular former city administrator DJ Gehrt–spearheading the effort to put together joint funding to cover costs. The city sees the project as essential to growth.
The estimated project budget of $20 million covers design, construction, utility relocation, and right-of-way acquisition. Initial funding includes $11 million from a Governor’s Cost Share Grant and Surface and Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funding administered through Mid America Regional Council (MARC) and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).
Additional contributions have been provided by Platte County, the City of Platte City, the Platte City Special Road District, and adjacent developers, which makes this major project a collaborative effort.
Officials say the goal is to accommodate the growing industrial and residential developments in that area by transforming the existing two-lane highway into a four-lane highway.
The improvements will include curb and gutter, storm sewers, a concrete median, a five foot sidewalk and a 10-foot shared-use path.
Chaffin, the engineer working with the City of Platte City, told The Landmark at the previous open house that a five foot wide sidewalk will be on the south side of the highway. The 10-foot shared-use trail will be on the north side, running from the start of the project east to the Timber Creek residential subdivision.
Chaffin said the roadway’s vertical alignment will be adjusted to enhance sight distances, which she said would further improve safety along the corridor.
It was noted at the December open house that improvements to the Bethel Road/Hwy. 92 intersection will include realignment of the skewed intersection to provide safer traffic movements.
