Upcoming improvements to Route 61 in Jackson to cause road closures, detours

JACKSON, Mo. (KFVS) - Upcoming plans to improve a portion of Route 61 in Jackson will affect how drivers get around town.

Missouri Department of Transportation’s project engineer, Kevin Plott, said the work will start in October and take more than a year to complete.

“The existing pavement is heavily deteriorated, the bridge is in need of replacement,” said Plott.

“We want to make way to have enough room to replace all the existing pavement with new concrete pavement, add some new pedestrian facilities, some sidewalks, some ADA improvements, redo the storm sewer, and we are going to replace the bridge at Hubble Creek with a newer, wider bridge,” he added.

With the road closure comes detours, and Plott said those will affect the flow of traffic.

“With it being a closure, the main impact is just for daily commuters,” he said. “Some streets like Farmington, with it being the marked detour, are going to see some increased traffic.”

One Jackson driver said he thinks the improvements are necessary, but knows it will add some time to his daily commute.

“It is going to cause a lot of traffic grief,” Lance Blecker said. “I mean, it is a well-traveled highway so I don’t know.”

Plott said once the construction begins, there will be an adjustment period for those on the roads.

“Take additional time and plan ahead, especially in the morning and evening commutes because it will likely take a little longer to get through the area,” said Plott.

The closure is also expected to affect Jackson school bus routes.

Assistant Superintendent Keenan Kinder said they will make adjustments as needed once the construction begins.

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