Cass County Announces MoDOT Plans

Cass County Commission Announces MoDOT Plans for Cass County
By Brian L. Baker

Harrisonville, Mo. – The Cass County Commission has been working with MoDOT to implement the Missouri Department of Transportation’s “Safe & Sound Bridge Program.” The Commission is pleased to announce that MoDOT will replace the decks on the bridges and make other structural improvements to 18 bridges throughout Cass County in the next five years.

In just a few short weeks since taking office, the new County Commission has taken fast steps to improve county services. MoDOT’s announcement coincides with the Commission’s effort to work more closely with the Cass County Roads Advisory Board and their plans to create a Road & Bridge Task Force. Associate Commissioner Brian Baker says the Commission is committed to moving forward hand-in-hand with citizens.

“Commissioner Bill Cook is organizing a task force that will review our road system, coordinate with MoDOT, and begin a long-term plan to improve and maintain our county roadways. Further, the Road Advisory Board and the task-force is an effort to include more citizens in the process. We are here to serve…and we want to walk side-by-side with the citizens of Cass County,” stated Baker.

MoDOT announced that four bridges will be fixed this year under the “Safe & Sound Bridge Program.” They include bridges on Route O over Poney Creek and over the Grand River, Route 2 over the Grand River, and Route B over Knob Creek. These four bridges will be closed to through traffic for up to 60 days sometime during the spring and summer to allow the contractor to complete work quickly. The closures will detour traffic to nearby routes.

A community briefing to explain the details of these closures will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 17, 2009, at Cass Midway High School, 5801 E. Route 2, Cleveland, Missouri. Maps showing all “Safe & Sound” bridges in both Johnson and Cass Counties will be on display at the community briefing. MoDOT stated that all bridges listed in the program will be improved in the next five years. They also noted that closures will affect school bus and emergency service routes. Schools and emergency services will be provided information to help them find alternative routes to serve citizens.

The County Commission encourages citizens to attend the MoDOT community briefing on February 17 at Cass Midway High School. “We want to hear from citizens,” stated Baker. “These briefings help us open up lines of communication. We look forward to talking with citizens.”