Several projects in store for Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization in 2017

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization technical committee met in Jefferson City Thursday in part to talk about several big upcoming projects in 2017.

Last summer, ABC 17 News reported work started on a roundabout at Stadium Boulevard and Jefferson Street. Drivers are currently facing minimal closures at the intersection.

When school gets out for the summer, crews will shut down the intersection to finish work on the $2.1 million project that will be the largest roundabout in Jefferson City.

“It’s also going to allow people to come off of southbound, or really westbound 54 to actually continue right on into Jefferson City High School,” Sonny Sanders with CAMPO said. “So it’s going to have sort of a continuous right turn lane coming off, so that’s going to be safer. So it’s going to help keep the traffic flowing and not backing up.”

In another big project for 2017, crews will construct sidewalks on the north side of Missouri Boulevard from Southwest Boulevard to Waverly Street.

The project to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety will cost nearly $350,000.

“That project is also going to include four bus shelters and some bike racks there too,” Sanders said. “We’re also adding two signalized crosswalks.”

ABC 17 News has reported CAMPO is also behind a system-wide JEFFTRAN assessment that was originally set to start in the 2016 fiscal year.

The $75,000 assessment aimed to improve service and efficiency is expected to last about six to nine months.

The city only has to pay for a small portion in each of the projects.

The City Council is set to vote on accepting a MoDOT grant Monday that would cover 80 percent of the Missouri Boulevard sidewalk project.