Lawson, Mo. — Area residents and officials of Lawson, Missouri, gathered on Thursday evening in an open-house-style forum hosted by the Missouri Department of Transportation Kansas City Division (MoDOT KC) to discuss plans for improving the intersection at Route D and U.S. 69 Hwy beginning in the spring of 2027.
Ben McCabe, project manager of MoDOT KC, noted the proposed solutions showcased at the forum consist of two options for the intersection, a four-way signal or roundabout, as well as the intent to shave down a hill blocking sight on the south side of US 69 Hwy. The designs showcased aim to enhance both traffic flow and safety with the potential for a complete shutdown of the intersection to “speed up construction,” McCabe said.
Once the project is underway, detours will be placed in the area to help mitigate traffic, as MoDOT KC’s goal is to complete the project within one year. However, “there may be a little phasing, due to local businesses keeping them open,” he said. If that is the case, MoDOT KC projects the project to take longer to reach completion.
The businesses in the area that could experience potential impacts from the construction include Gunsmiths of Liberty, Apex Fitness, Hughes Self-Service Convenience Store, and Sonic Drive-In.
McCabe explained that each design proposal has pros and cons, citing that a roundabout will “slow people down due to lower traffic speeds, resulting in less damage.” A four-way signal can allow “people to run a light.”
If the four-way signal is the option the city, residents, and MoDOT agree upon, McCabe said, there will be a tighter quadrant at the intersection as MoDOT is proposing a right, right, left, and acceleration design, resulting in a lot of linear widening of the roadway.
As for the roundabout proposal, he noted bigger vehicles, such as school buses and semi-trucks, would be able to easily navigate the structure. Meanwhile, normal-sized vehicles will still be able to manage the intersection and remain traveling at lower speeds to aid in the prevention of speed-related accidents.
In addition, “there are a lot of access points close to the intersection,” McCabe said. During the construction phase, “Some of them will go away” to ease access for local businesses. He explained that MoDOT can maintain full access at some of the access points, but the projected four-way signal design will have to tighten those points up, making them a right turn in and right turn out. With the use of a roundabout, those access points will “remain full access,” he said.
Community members attending the meeting were able to preview both design proposals and the potential detours while leaving their comments including resident Tosha Jackson who said, “Closing down the intersection completely is going to be hugely detrimental to not only the residents but the businesses because MoDOT KC is proposing to close down the intersection completely.”
Jackson explained there are only two ways into Lawson, and for someone like her living on the west side of town, her drive will go from five minutes to 25 minutes due to added detours.
As for city officials, Lawson’s newly appointed Mayor, Andrew Swope said, “There are pros and cons for both proposals, but we would personally like a traffic signal because of the amount of space it takes to install a roundabout and the impact it would make for some of the commercial properties in the area as far as entrances and exits. But we also know that a roundabout has a faster commute.”
Swope added that the public open house was a chance for the community to get involved, share their input, and have a say in the changes to come for the intersection due to the impact it will make for residents.
Currently, MoDOT KC has not made a formal decision regarding which design proposal will be implemented at the D and 69 HWY intersection, and residents in the area can still share their opinions at https://www.modot.org/projects/route-d-and-us-route-69-intersection-improvements-clay-county.
To access more information regarding MoDOT news, events, or projects, visit https://www.modot.org/kansascity.
April 2, 2025 – This story has been updated to correct the misspelling of Tosha Jackson’s name.
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