Significant travel delays are expected on U.S. Route 54 in Jefferson City beginning later this month, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
An exact start date will be announced soon, MoDOT said.
Route 54 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction between the Missouri River and Business Route 50 (Missouri Boulevard) through early September. A 15-foot width restriction and speed reduction to 35 mph will be in place through the work zone.
MoDOT has contracted with Concrete Strategies, LLC to perform bridge joint and deck repairs, then place a new concrete wearing surface on two overpasses on Route 54: over U.S. Route 50 (locally known as the tri-level) and over McCarty Street.
MoDOT said this stretch of Route 54 carries more than 31,000 vehicles on an average day. Significant delays are expected in both directions during weekday morning and evening rush.
“Travelers headed to and from the Lake of the Ozarks region should consider alternate routes to avoid significant delays especially on Friday afternoons for westbound traffic and Sunday afternoons for eastbound drivers,” MoDOT Central District Engineer Machelle Watkins said in the news release.
Drivers towing recreational vehicles, like boats or campers wider than 15 feet, will not be able to travel through the work zone, MoDOT said.
Drivers are encouraged to use both lanes to the point where one lane closes, then use a zipper merge — alternating vehicles merging to a single lane of traffic — to east congestion.
More info about this and other projects along the Route 54 corridor in the Jefferson City area can be found on MoDOT's website.
