Ballenger Lane project scheduled for construction beginning May 1

Beginning Wednesday, May 1, Don Schnieders Excavating Co. Inc. plans to begin construction on the Ballenger Lane improvements from north of Ria Street to Mexico Gravel Road, weather permitting. The Ballenger Lane Improvement Project will provide a thoroughfare for pedestrians, bicyclists and other nonmotorized transportation users. The project is estimated to be completed by late summer 2019.

The Ballenger Lane improvements will provide a safer path for nonmotorized transportation users by widening the pavement. The improvement project will include 6-foot-wide shoulders on each side of the road, an asphalt overlay and stormwater improvements. Existing sidewalks from neighboring subdivisions will also be connected to the shoulders. Most of the work will occur one lane at a time, but additional short-term closures will be announced during the project.

The traffic plan for this project is to do most of the work one lane at a time with flaggers controlling the direction and flow of traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, each week, weather permitting. The contractor retains the right to adjust its work schedule due to weather and workflow.  

Two nighttime closures are also planned: one on Ballenger Lane just south of Oakview Drive and one on Rice Road just west of Ballenger Lane for culvert replacements. These closures will be announced prior to when the closures and detours will be in place.

A 24-hour, two-week lane closure will also be needed on the northernmost section of road between Mexico Gravel Road and Timber Lane. This closure is needed so that the contractor can widen the road in this area and extend the existing box culvert. Temporary traffic signals will be installed to direct traffic through this portion of the project. The date of this closure will also be announced beforehand.

The investment for the project is estimated at $2.2 million, funded with the 2015 Capital Improvement Sales Tax, the County Road Tax and cost share from the Missouri Department of Transportation. The project passed through the City's Public Involvement Process, which included an interested parties meeting on June 13, 2017, followed by a public hearing and final approval by the City Council on Dec. 18, 2017.