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This summer, crews surveyed and took core samples along the curvy stretch that sits near the midpoint between Warrenton and Marthasville. Gough said the geotech staff was concerned about how the road will be rebuilt and straightened into the hillside.
County officials and residents have long complained about the unsafe half-mile stretch of roadway.
"They want to do more geotech work to make sure what we are proposing will work," Gough said. "They had a plan, but scratched it. They are trying a few different things."
Gough said the reconstruction project has yet to be scheduled in MoDOT's five-year budget for 2010-2014. However, she anticipates funding will be made available for the improvements since some money is held back.
A previous cost estimate for the highway facelift ranged from $1.3 to $1.5 million, including construction and right of way expenses.
"It's not showing in any documents, but we know one of the projects that we have all intentions to adding is this," Gough said.
In an unrelated Highway 47 project, Gough also informed the county commission that MoDOT will be having aerial photos taken this winter from Warrenton to the Missouri River.
She said preliminary work is being done should MoDOT gain the funding in the future to add shoulders to the highway. She added that a similar project is being performed on Highway 15 in the northern portion of the state without the need to purchase extra right of way.
Gough emphasized that the state right of way on Highway 47 is not wide enough to complete the project without buying extra land. As for a time frame when the project could be scheduled, Gough was unsure.
"We know everybody wants shoulders, wants the edge line rubble strips," Gough said. "The problem on (Highway) 47 is there is not enough right of way. For us to be able to do something it will have to be a full blown project."
The commission also told Gough about continued requests to lower the speed limit on Highway 47 inside the city limits of Marthasville. The speed limit is currently 55 mph, but the construction of two banks and a restaurant has concerned residents and officials about the increase in traffic pulling in and off the highway.
Gough said she needed to check with MoDOT officials and see what the traffic count results were.
Gough also informed the commissioners about the recent installation of a highway camera on Interstate 70 at Wright City. She said message board operators based in Kansas City will be able to update information much quicker should the highway be backed up for a motor vehicle accident or other reasons.
