Plans for the improvement of Business 50 West in Apache Flats move forward

Plans for the improvement of Business 50 West in Apache Flats continue to move forward.

The Cole County Commission reviewed bids and plans for the project Tuesday morning and are hoping to break ground soon.

This is the largest project that the county has ever done by itself.

The road is known for being narrow, its ability to flood with even the slightest rainfall and for its heavy traffic during the busy times of the day.

Cole County commissioners have been working on plans to improve the road for months and now say they have come up with some solutions.

“It’s falling apart and it needs to be torn out and completely redone,” said Presiding Commissioner Marc Ellinger.

These solutions are expensive and the county is expecting to spend between $3.5 million and $3.8 million on the improvements.

Still, Ellinger says it is worth the money.

“It’s the most important project this year that the county is doing,” he said.

Ellinger says the improvements will help businesses in the area by making them more accessible.

“You’re gonna have a better roadway to start with. There’s gonna be some sidewalks out there that’ll help the residents get to and from,” he said.

There will also be the addition of an extra center lane, shoulders and what Ellinger calls the most important, a drainage system.

“The project will improve the drainage. We have some flooding that goes into some of the businesses and certainly onto the highway. That’ll all be improved,” he said.

The commission hopes to break ground this spring. The project is expected to take around a year to complete.