SPRINGFIELD, MO – For the last four years, parts of James River Freeway have been an ongoing construction zone. First, MoDOT widened the highway to six lanes between U.S. 65 and National Avenue. That portion opened in 2022. The current phase entails expanding the highway between National Ave. and Kansas Expressway.
Finally, after years of construction signs and lane shifts, drivers have an end in sight. MoDOT says it is on track to be done with this latest segment of the expansion by November 1.
Brad Gripka, MoDOT Resident Engineer, said, “No more signs, no more orange cones. And then, speed will be back to normal at that point, hopefully by Thanksgiving.”
As things wrap up, some drivers are running into a little bit of confusion- particularly at the new eastbound off-ramp to Kansas Expressway. Some viewers have asked OzarksFirst about the configuration and if a fix is in the works.
MoDOT tells us the new format will include two lanes instead of the previous one. The lanes have been re-striped, but the overhead truss signs, which will tell drivers which lane is which, are still two to three weeks from being installed. Currently, the old signage is still in place.