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Traffic on West Osage Street was flowing smoothly at midday last Friday, but motorists may have noticed an activity at the side of the road that marks the beginning of what is sure to be a summer of traffic snarls and delays.
Tiny colored flags dot the grassy right of way in front of Hardee's parking lot, signifying buried water lines, cable and utility lines, as a Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) crew excavates the gutter.
Everything has to be moved to make way for the extra traffic lane that MoDOT will add to Osage and the new sidewalks that will extend from Pacific High School on Indian Warpath Drive to St. Bridget Elementary School on Third Street.
In recent weeks, AmerenUE has been replacing utility poles along the entire stretch of West Osage.
The car wash at LaMar Parkway and West Osage is being demolished to make way for new eastbound I-44 entrance ramp.
"This is the preliminary work to the improvements," Selby said. "The major construction will begin as soon as MoDOT lets the bids."
The $40 million improvement project is being funded by a combination of federal transportation funds, state and federal grants and a city of Pacific cost-share paid for with taxes collected in the affected commercial district.
Beginning this summer, MoDOT will begin four projects at the same time - adding an extra lane each way on I-44 between Pacific and the Washington exit, building the new eastbound entrance and exit ramps at Pacific, widening Osage and building a pedestrian walkway under the overpass and constructing sidewalks on Osage.
Although the work is funded as separate projects all the work will be done at the same time, Selby said.
"There will be some inconvenience while the work is going on," said Judy Wagner, MoDOT area engineer. "But when the work is completed it will all be worth it."
The Commercial Improvement District (CID) surrounding the interchange is a commercial tourist neighborhood, inhabited by two hotels, seven restaurants, tanning salon, gym, pharmacy, two banks, travel center, furniture store and two fireworks emporiums.
Sales tax collected from these businesses will pay the city's half of the cost of the ramps and pedestrian walkways that will allow visitors to walk safely from the hotels to fast-food restaurants on either side of I-44.
New eastbound entrance and exit ramps on the south side of I-44 will be located west of the existing ramps.
A pedestrian walkway will place sidewalks from North Thornton Road, under the I-44 overpass on Viaduct Street, to businesses along Osage. Additional traffic lanes will be added on Osage. New sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of the road and streetlights will be added.
In a companion construction project, Wallis Companies plans to build a new Mobil on the Run station and car wash on the property now occupied by Route 66 Chevrolet. The new I-44 exit ramps will border this property.
As soon as MoDOT lets the contract, the property will change hands, Selby said.
Wallis officials say they want to coincide opening of the new station with opening of the new ramp. The company also is seeking a fast-food restaurant and hotel on the site.
The biggest change for some residents will be the placing of entrance and exits closer to the former Lazy Larry property, which has been waiting for redevelopment for decades.
Although traffic plans during construction call for reducing Osage to one lane each way during, a possible alternative would be to divert Osage traffic to Union Street between Viaduct an Payne streets.
"It that were to happen, MoDOT would also rebuild Union and Alderman (Carol) Johnson would have her sidewalks," Selby said. "That's not a promise, but it is something that has been looked at."
Johnson has requested sidewalks along Union Street where residents of Pacific Care Center and the adjoining apartment complex sometimes walk to the fast-food restaurants. Johnson said sidewalks on the roadway that abuts Hogan Subdivision is a safety issue.
