If the weather holds, the contractor should be finished with the work at Hopewell Hill and Highway 47 could be open to traffic as early as next week, according to an update sent out by the Missouri Department of Transportation. Route 47 was closed July 18 to complete the construction of the new three-fourths of a mile section of the highway. Crews have been working since April to realign a curvy stretch of the highway, located between Warrenton and Marthasville. The $2.345-million project consists of eliminating two sharp S curves and constructing 11-foot driving lanes with 4-foot shoulders along the section. The pavement will be widened  to 3 1/2 feet on the inside of the curves and the 12 existing curves have been softened into three curves. While the subcontractor is performing paving work, the contractor, H.R. Quadri of Van Buren, is taking advantage of the closure to perform additional work which normally would have taken place after the road reopened. When the road opens to traffic, motorists will see minimal construction since a lot was accomplished while the road was closed. Temporary erosion controls will be monitored and later removed once vegetation has taken hold.Despite some unusually wet conditions for a week or so during construction, MoDOT and H. R. Quadri Contractors are confident the completion date, originally scheduled for early September, will be moved up by several weeks.Hopewell Hill Construction