For many, Kingdom City serves as a through point while traveling to St. Louis or Columbia.
While still in the early stages, the Missouri Department of Transportation is working with Kingdom City officials on plans for the U.S. 54 and Interstate 70 connections.
Kingdom City Manager Larry Doyle Jr. said the project goal is to make traffic flow better through the area.
“The problem we’re having, and this was right before COVID, was that here is a pathway to the lake,” he said. “They had a problem where people were like waiting for two hours to get out of say the McDonald’s side of the road. Everything was just backing up because so many people are doing it.”
Doyle said plans are still early, but he’s in regular conversations with MoDOT officials on where things are at.
The next meeting is scheduled for this week.
“We’ve already had a few meetings via Zoom on how everything looks and what their initial plans are,” Doyle said. “I think they’ve come up with a very generalized plan that they’re comfortable with and they’re going to drop off some materials here.”
He said the last plan he saw had MoDOT expanding the on and off ramps. It will cost an estimated $8 million.
While the equipment and asphalt are in town, Doyle said, Kingdom City officials hope to redo parts of Janice Avenue, which runs next to McDonald’s.
“It’s not in horrible shape, but its in bad shape,” Doyle said. “It’s all concrete for 18-wheelers, but some of it is settling.”
The city is working on plans to repave the street while also adding in gutters, sidewalk and beautification elements.
“Hopefully whatever MoDOT comes up with will allow the traffic to want to turn in and want to get out easily and just improve the flow everywhere,” Doyle said.