Upgrades Begin Next Monday on Two Taney County Intersections

TANEY COUNTY, Mo. -- Two intersections along U.S. 65 will get upgrades soon in Taney County.

On Monday, the Missouri Department of Transportation announced work starts Monday, August 6 at the St. James Street and Business 65 intersection in Hollister.

Then on August 13, work will begin at the U.S. 65 and Rochester Road intersection near Ridgedale.

The prime contractor on the project is Branco Enterprises of Neosho, doing the work for a low bid amount of $1.3 million.

The whole project is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 30. However, MoDOT says the contractor expects to complete the work by mid-October.

Business 65/St. James Street

Much of the work at the St. James Street/Business Route 65 intersection will take place at night or when traffic volumes are lower. Nighttime lane closings will take place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights.

Drivers can expect traffic shifts on Business 65 at St. James Street as traffic is shifted away from where crews are widening the roadway. One-lane in each direction will be maintained much of the time.

When one-lane traffic is needed, flaggers will direct drivers through the work zone.

The St. James/Business 65 project includes new traffic signals, a new left-turn lane from Business 65 onto St. James Street and new sidewalks in areas around the intersection.

Route 65/Rochester Road

The work on Route 65 at Rochester Road south of Ridgedale is scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 13.

Drivers can expect lane closings on both Route 65 and on Rochester Road between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday.

Work involves:
* Building U-turn lanes north and south of the intersection.
* Rebuilding the median crossover to allow left-turns only. No straight-across traffic will be allowed.
* Installing new highway lighting at the intersection and at the new U-turn lanes.
* Replacing rutted pavement on Rochester Road on the east side of Route 65.