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Supplementary Project Mode(s):
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* Active Transportation * Freight
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The Nation Road project is a key component of the greater transportation improvements needed to serve the new I-35 interchange at 19th Street, which is located approximately 0.5 miles east of Nation Road. The Nation Road project will serve will both motorists and freight as increased traffic is anticipated due to the new interchange. Multimodal facilities on Nation Road would also include bicycle lanes, a shared-use path on one side of the roadway, and a sidewalk on the opposite side of the roadway in order to accommodate bicyclists, pedestrians, and mobility aid users.
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Project Description: |
The City of Kearney is a rapidly growing community with a single highway interchange at I-35 and Route 92. To reduce congestion and vehicular delay associated with the existing interchange, the City and MoDOT are in the process of implementing a new Diverging Diamond Interchange approximately one mile to the south at I-35 and 19th Street. Regional connectivity of 19th Street is limited as the corridor does not currently extend across I-35. Therefore, to connect to the new interchange, 19th Street (approximately 0.4 miles to the east and 0.3 miles to the west of the interchange) will be improved to a three-lane urban roadway to increase capacity for motorists and freight. Improvements will also include bicycle lanes, a shared-use path on the south side of the roadway, and a sidewalk on the north side of the roadway in order to accommodate bicyclists, pedestrians, and mobility aid users. Construction of this interchange project is anticipated to begin in Fall 2021.
The interchange project does not include improvements to the Nation Road corridor, which is located approximately 0.5 miles west of the new interchange. With the implementation of the new interchange, Nation Road will serve as a growing but critical corridor as the “western leg” of the city’s arterial loop comprised of Route 92 (with access to existing I-35 interchange), Route 33, 19th Street (with access to new I-35 interchange), and Nation Road. The City has implemented or is planning improvements to these other corridors in order to accommodate the community growth and shift in traffic patterns that is anticipated due to the new interchange. The existing one-mile Nation Road corridor is a rural two-lane collector with no bicycle or pedestrian accommodations. As increased traffic is anticipated due to the new interchange, the proposed Nation Road project improves the corridor to an urban, three-lane roadway in order to increase safety and capacity for motorists and freight. The project will also include bicycle lanes, a shared-use path on one side of the roadway, and a sidewalk on the opposite side of the roadway in order to accommodate bicyclists, pedestrians, and mobility aid users. No intersection improvements are anticipated at the northern terminus (Route 92) due to an existing roundabout and at the southern terminus (19th Street) due to a separate, proposed roundabout project. The Nation Road project is a key component of the greater transportation improvements needed to serve the new I-35 interchange.
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Scope: |
The Nation Road project limits extend approximately 1.0 miles from Route 92 to 19th Street/144th Street. The project reconstructs the roadway to an urban, three-lane roadway in order to increase safety and capacity for motorists and freight. The project will also include bicycle lanes, a shared-use path on one side of the roadway, and a sidewalk on the opposite side of the roadway in order to accommodate bicyclists, pedestrians, and mobility aid users. As permitted based on anticipated access points, medians will be placed in the center turn lane to separate opposing traffic lanes. Other significant scope items include right-of-way acquisition, stormwater infrastructure improvements, lighting, and landscaping. No intersection improvements are anticipated at the northern terminus (Route 92) due to an existing roundabout and at the southern terminus (19th Street) due to a separate, proposed roundabout project.
Several safety countermeasures are incorporated into the project, such as:
a) Sight distance improvements to reduce the potential for crashes;
b) Dedicated center turn lane to reduce the potential for rear-end crashes;
c) Utility relocation and removal of fixed objects to reduce the potential for fixed object crashes;
d) Bicycle lanes provide a dedicated facility for on-street bicyclists separate from vehicular traffic;
e) Shared-use path and sidewalk to provide a dedicated facility for off-street bicyclists and pedestrians;
f) Shared-use path and sidewalk buffer to increase separation from vehicle traffic;
g) Stormwater improvements to reduce the potential for traffic delays and crashes during weather events; and
h) Lighting increases visibility and comfort for all users.
Expected outcomes of the Nation Road project include enhanced safety for all users, increased capacity to serve the new I-35 interchange, and increased economic development associated with benefits realized by improved connectivity.
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