A couple of the communities in the 18th Senatorial District are looking at the opportunity for road improvements to be made along a busy highway, which would improve traffic flow and safety.

Both the cities of Atlanta and Clark are in line for improvements along Highway 63. Before any work is completed, officials at the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) have reached out to members of both communities, seeking public input. Both projects involve what are called “J-turns,” which alleviate crossover traffic. Instead of driving across two or four lanes of traffic — sometimes meeting traffic that is topping 70 miles per hour — a J-turn lets a motorist drive along an extended turn lane until the destination road is reached, preventing intersection backups and dangerous crossings.

The improvements in Atlanta would take place on Highway 63 at Route M. The latest MoDOT public hearing was held on Sept. 23. The project in Clark would be on 63 at the Route B and P intersection. MoDOT’s most recent hearing about this was held on Sept. 30. Officials also offered plenty of information to attendees of both presentations.

If you were unable to attend any of the public hearings, MoDOT is giving people the chance to comment on both the Atlanta and the Clark improvement projects.
Too many of us know, or have heard about, someone who has been in an accident at either of these places. I want to thank MoDOT for reaching out and talking with as many people as possible before any further planning is done on either of these projects. It takes a lot of time and effort to prepare for major road work, and MoDOT is going the extra mile in assuring the public before they proceed on these much-needed improvements.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Thank you.