The Greene County Commission has signed a contract allowing construction crews to begin extending Kansas Expressway at Republic Road in south Springfield.

The contractor, Emery Sapp & Sons, began mobilizing equipment in late December. MoDOT approved the lowest bid of $15.7 million for Phase 1 construction, almost $6 million under the engineer's cost estimate of $21.6 million.

Construction will be divided into two phases. Phase 1 is from Republic Road to Plainview Road. Phase 2 is from Plainview Road to Farm Road 190. All construction on Phase 1 must be completed by Nov. 1, 2023. Phase 2 construction is anticipated to start in the winter of 2023, with completion in the spring of 2025.

Crews will build a new two-lane road with turning lanes at major intersections, new stormwater improvements, and a pedestrian and bicycle path along the corridor. The extension also will be cleared for future expansion.

The new roadway will provide motorists with an alternative connection in southern Greene County and provide traffic congestion relief along parallel routes at Cox Road and Campbell Avenue.

Eighty percent of the project will be paid with federal transportation funds and 20 percent will be paid by Greene County. The city of Springfield also is a cost-share partner as the northern portion of the extension falls within the city limits of Springfield.

Planning for the Kansas Expressway Extension began nearly four decades ago. In the early 1980s both Greene County and the city of Springfield recommended a major thoroughfare plan south of Route M.

After several feasibility studies in the following years, the project was approved, and planning preparations began. By 2021, environmental assessments and right-of-way plans have been finalized, clearing the route for construction in 2022.

For more information, visit greenecountymo.gov/highway/future_projects.php.

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