Drivers can expect lane closings and shoulder closings at the Missouri Route 13 intersections with Greene County Route BB/CC, Greene County Route W and Greene County Route O north of Springfield starting the week of August 5th.
Contractor crews will begin work to install J-turns at the three intersections as part of a project to make safety improvements at 10 intersections along Route 13 between Clinton and Springfield.
During construction, MoDOT says drivers can expect lane closings with crews and equipment close to traffic. At least one lane of traffic will be open in each direction at all times.
Drivers can also expect side roads to be closed at times during the project.
Drivers who travel through the intersections are urged to use extreme caution and slow down in the work zones.
Traffic Signal at Greene County Route O:
At the intersection of Route 13 and Greene County Route O, the traffic signal will be removed when the new J-turn configuration opens. Drivers are urged to use caution during the construction project when traveling through the intersection.
What are J-Turns? A J-turn is a much safer alternative to traditional intersections on a four-lane high-speed highway. Instead of motorists crossing fast-moving lanes of traffic to get to the opposing lanes, drivers at a J-turn intersection turn right, traveling in the same direction of traffic, merge into the left lane and then make a U-turn in the direction they intend to travel.
According to a University of Missouri study, J-turn intersections can reduce injury and fatality crashes by up to 53-percent.
Although drivers will travel slightly further to get where they want to go, officials say using J-turns can take the same or less time than waiting for a safe and appropriate gap to cross traffic.
MoDOT says J-turns are the best low-cost safety improvements available. For the cost of one interchange with ramps and an overpass, as many as 10 intersections can be converted to J-turns.
Project Information
- Prime contractor: APAC Central, Fayetteville, Ark.
- Estimated total project cost: $12.9 Million
- Project completion date: November 15, 2019
