MoDOT begins restructuring section of Route 179

MoDOT will begin work Wednesday night on Route 179 between West Truman Blvd./Industrial Blvd. and Merchants Drive in Jefferson City.

The work will help reduce rear-end and left-turn crashes that frequent the area.

When completed, one of the southbound lanes on Rte. 179 will become a two-way center turn lane. The new center turn lane will allow for safer
and easier access to Gerbes, Jefferson Bank, Sonic Drive-In, Plaza Drive, and Merchants Drive, according to MoDOT.

Northbound Route 179 will remain two lanes from Merchants Drive to West Truman Blvd./Industrial Drive, and the traffic flow will remain the same.

The work will also change the southbound approach to the signalized intersection at W. Truman and Industrial.

The 2 through lanes will be converted to one through lane and one dedicated right-turn lane. The dedicated left-turn lane will be modified to create two way center-turn lane for access to W. Main Street from either direction on 179.

The work is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and last two nights, with single-lane closures through the evening hours.

Message boards are in place to announce the traffic pattern changes.