Thanks to some elbow grease from public servants, and a generous landowner, the already fast-tracked repairs to a landslide on Highway U in southern Warren County are now expected to be completed in November of this year. 

According to MoDOT Area Engineer Jeff Niemeyer, the project was originally slated as urgent when it was released with the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program earlier last month. At that point the only things holding the project back were environmental clearances and the right of way necessary to repair the road. 

As of last week, those are no longer a problem. 

MoDOT released bid specifications for the repair project on Aug. 5 and will be awarding that contract on Aug. 13 with a completion date of Nov. 6, a far cry from the previous completion date in spring of 2025. 

“Fortunately, last week, on the 30th we got the environmental clearance and the right of way acquired, so at that point the director of MoDOT declared an emergency,” Niemeyer said. “So we’re now able to go with a quicker letting schedule.”

The process through which the state arrived at the emergency declaration involved input from local elected officials and business leaders as they reached out to MoDOT. 

“It was something that was needed and we’re all happy that’s gonna be done by November 6. It wasn’t just one person, it was a group effort,” said Presiding Commissioner Joe Gildehaus. 

Gildehaus also offered plenty of credit to State Rep. Jeff Myers, who he said took the lead on efforts to get the project moved forward. 

“It’s an example of what can be accomplished when community and state resources come together,” said Myers. 

Commissioner Matt Flake echoed those sentiments. 

“I’d like to thank the engineers, there were businesspeople, … And I’d like to thank some of the property owners in the area for working and getting us the easements we needed,” Flake said. 

Myers also made sure to thank others involved including MoDOT Northeast District Engineer Paula Gough and especially Steve Kreps, the landowner on Highway U who decided to donate the land necessary for MoDOT’s right of way. 

Once the project is awarded, Niemeyer said the contractor will get right to work with construction expected to start on Aug. 26. 

Contractors will be working to repair one large slide in the road roughly 10 miles south of Warrenton along with two smaller slides roughly a quarter mile south within the closure. 

On top of that, there are both heavy incentives and disincentives to ensure the project is completed on time if not ahead of schedule.