A Long and Winding Road: Construction Projects Near Completion

Jesse James Road Work — Workers make progress on the resurfacing project, Sept. 30.

As summer draws to a close, so do the many road construction projects throughout the city of Excelsior Springs. The much anticipated road resurfacing project on Jesse James Road is nearing completion. As of this morning (Sept. 30) road crews working on the project confirmed that they would be finishing up work on driveways and inlets and then begin paving Saturday morning (Oct. 2) and by Saturday afternoon the paving would be complete. According to Public Works Director, Chad Birdsong, the project hit some speed bumps along the way. There were several areas of concern including a “slide” at the intersection of Jesse James and Wornall that required extensive inspection and reevaluation. Birdsong noted that as with any construction project, there are always some hidden surprises along the way. “The extra time it has taken will ensure the road will last as long as possible, and provide the best value to our taxpayers,” he concluded.

As reported earlier, (click here) the construction this summer included a two-inch mill and overlay on Jesse James Rd., Dunbar, and the intersection of Miller and Concourse. Those areas received curb improvements as well as sidewalk replacements and ramps where needed. Jesse James Rd. has also been widened from 69 Hwy down to 10 Hwy and includes bike lanes on both sides of the road, replacing the current gravel shoulders. Additionally the intersection at Meadowlark Ln. and Jesse James Rd. was also reworked to make it more of a true, four-way stop.

Road aberrations abound along Jesse James Rd.

Jesse James Road Slide — Road aberrations abound along Jesse James Rd.

And, after several months of being closed to through traffic the Regent Street Bridge has finally reopened. The bridge closed after it was submerged by flood waters in June forcing a mandated inspection by state officials. The report took much longer than expected to return, prompting some speculation that the damage may have been so severe that it would close the bridge indefinitely; luckily, that was not the case. “We dodged a bullet on that one,” said Melinda Mehaffy, City Economic Developer, referring to the substantial cost that would have come to the city to repair or even replace the bridge. Moving into fall and winter the main focus will be on maintenance and keeping the streets open through the inclimate weather ahead.