Parts of U.S. 67 closed beginning tonight

SIKESTON – Night time construction on the new Parkway Drive interchange at Park Hills will cause the Missouri Department of Transportation to reduce lane traffic and, at times, close U.S. 67 to all traffic beginning tonight.

Tonight through Friday night, MoDOT said, girders and deck panels will be placed for the new overpass at Parkway Drive. The work is expected to occur from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. each night.

The divided four-lane highway will be reduced to one lane in both the northbound and southbound directions in the work zone, which is located between the Desloge and Leadington interchanges.

Officials of MoDOT said motorists may expect full closure of U.S. 67 resulting in delays of up to 30 minutes while girders are being set tonight.

Motorists were asked to use extreme caution in the work zone, not only during these night hours but at all times while construction is under way. There is a special speed limit set through the construction zone and violating that limit can result in significant fines.

The project includes construction of the new interchange that extends from Conway Road to Parkway Drive, creation of a new east outer road from Doss Road to Griffith Road, and closing the Conway Road intersection when the new interchange is completed.

Construction of the interchange began last fall and the contractor, Millstone Bangert Construction Co., has indicated it should be completed in November. The $8.1 million construction contract was awarded one year ago by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.

Actual preparation work for the new interchange began two years ago with the awarding of a demolition contract to Renegade Construction Co. of Farmington.

The Parkway Drive project is another of several planned by MoDOT in its goal to reduce the number of at-grade intersections on U.S. 67 in St. Francois County. The state has tentative plans for additional interchanges at Maple Street in Farmington, at the County Fairgrounds south of Leadington, and at Old Orchard Road in Bonne Terre.