Missouri preps for one of busiest road construction seasons in history

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s road construction season is kicking into high gear. 

Ed Hassinger, MoDOT’s deputy director, says Missouri is prepping for one of its busiest road construction seasons in the history of the department. 

Some of the biggest construction projects are along I-270 in St. Louis, the Buck O’Neil in Kansas City and Rocheport in the middle of the state, along with some of the low volume roads around the state.

Hassinger said “Every day, MODOT has between 2,500 and 3,000 people on the ground that are doing the MoDOT maintenance operations. We are probably employing, on any given day, a couple of thousand contract employees across the state that are building those projects.”.

Hassinger also says heavy reconstruction is going on between St. James and Rolla on I-44, and there’s a bridge replacement is underway between Joplin and Springfield on I-44. 

Since roughly 92 people, mainly drivers, have been killed in Missouri work zones over the last five years, he wants drivers to be extra cautious.