By Tim Schmidt Record Managing Editor In the short time since preliminary work on a dangerous section of Highway 47 began, the landscape of Hopewell Hill has drastically changed. That’s just the start to a project to realign a winding stretch of the road between Warrenton and Marthasville. MoDOT officials held another informational meeting Tuesday, April 15, at the Warrenton Fire Protection District’s Station 2 to provide an update on the project. The $2.345-million project will eliminate two sharp S curves, and widen the road for 11-foot driving lanes with 4-foot shoulders along the six-tenths of a mile section. The tentative schedule calls for the realignment project to be completed on Aug. 16. Blasting is expected to begin soon on the hillside to make way for the new highway. The work will be performed by Ed’s Drilling and Blasting, a Washington-based firm that has more than 50 years of experience. Erik Maninga, MoDOT area engineer for Warren County, noted the blasts will be monitored with portable four-channel seismographs and will only be conducted between the hours of 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on weekdays. Highway 47 will have to be closed temporarily for 10 to 15 minutes while blasting work is under way. It could take up to eight weeks to complete the blasting, Maninga said. The project will also require closing the highway at that point for up to 18 days beginning around July 29. During that time, traffic will be detoured on Routes O and M. Maninga noted that incentives are built into the contract for the contractor to reduce the amount of time the highway is closed. “I’m sure (the contractor) will be aggressive to minimize that closure,” Maninga said. “We do understand that it’s a huge impact for the folks driving on 47.” Few concerns raised A few concerns were raised at Tuesday’s meeting. Several residents who live in the area of Hopewell Hill approached MoDOT officials about their fear that the realigned road will lead to an increase in speeding motorists and possibly accidents. As part of the project, the Aspenhof entrance on the west side of Highway 47 will be moved to the south of its current location and will face the south Coventry entrance. Bill Guelaer, a local resident, said he would like to see the speed limit reduced to 40 mph, which he feels would be more effective than the current plan to erect advisory signs and set the speed limit at 50 mph. “They are creating a more complex intersection and there is no left turn lane and the school bus turns there,” he said. “The whole project was undertaken for safety reasons. You have straightened the road and it makes it safer to go faster. I’m just calling attention to a potential disaster.” Also, during the time when Highway 47 will close in late July and early August, the closure will affect motorists wanting to reach the Washington Town and Country Fair scheduled for Aug. 6-10. Residents living north of Hopewell Hill will also have to use the detour to reach their voting precinct at the American Legion Hall located north of Marthasville for the Aug. 5 primary election.
Erik Mangina, MoDOT area engineer for Warren County, explains the Hopewell Hill realignment project during an informational meeting held in Warrenton Tuesday, April 15. Tim Schmidt photo.
