Hwy 61 Work to begin

Highway 61 Road Work To Begin In The New Year!
Governmental Relations Committee
by Chairman Mike Smith
After receiving requests from members, your Chamber Governmental Relations Committee contacted State Rep. Tom McVea for an update on Highway 61 road construction.

At present, utility relocation is nearly complete - 95% or better for telephone, natural gas, electricity and water.

DOTD has informed the Chamber that it expects to let a contract for construction in January for the section of highway from St. Francisville to Bains. It then expects to let a separate contract in February for the section from Thompson's Creek to St. Francisville.

Work is expected to begin shortly after the contracts are finalized and take between 2 to 4 years to complete depending mostly on, yes, the weather. The final price tag could approach $80 million.

Several Chamber members with businesses along Hwy. 61 have expressed an interest in securing a contact numbers to the contractors in case questions or concerns arise during the construction process. DOTD will make this contact information available to the Chamber once contractors are selected. We will pass it along to you through this newsletter.

Your Chamber has also learned that significant intersection improvements at Highways 10 and 61 are not planned as a part of the overall Highway 61 widening project. Currently, Highway 10 has no left turn lanes or turning arrows when approaching Highway 61 from either the east or west. This intersection has been the site of several major accidents this year alone. Your Chamber has requested a traffic count study for this intersection and is considering actions that it can take to encourage DOTD to reconsider this decision.

The DOTD website is a great way to keep up with the progress of this road project - and others slated in our area.