Wright City is taking the first step in a long process to eventually have a new Interstate 70 interchange built at Stracks Church Road.
City officials last Thursday named four engineering firms …
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Wright City is taking the first step in a long process to eventually have a new Interstate 70 interchange built at Stracks Church Road.
City officials last Thursday named four engineering firms that are being considered to create what’s called an Access Justification Report to show the need for the new interchange. The report will include traffic counts and anticipated use of the interchange, environmental impact, design constraints, and potential economic impact.
MoDOT Northeast District Engineer Paula Gough said an Access Justification Report has to be approved by the federal government before any changes are made to the interstate highway system.
“Once we can get to the point where Federal Highway (Administration) has approved an access justification, then it becomes more about finding funding to make any changes, and then the actual design and development process,” said Gough.
The Wright City government is taking the lead on laying the groundwork for the interchange project. On March 11, the Wright City Board of Aldermen selected four firms as candidates to conduct the access justification report. One firm will be selected after a series of interviews on April 7.
The four firms now under consideration are Bartlett & West, George Butler & Associates, HDR and Lochmueller Group. Eight engineering companies initially applied for the project.
Wright City Administrator Jim Schuchmann said an interchange at Stracks Church Road could give current and future businesses easier access to I-70, relieve truck traffic from other nearby interchanges, and even provide a new access point for traffic to and from Innsbrook and Marthasville. All of that together makes it an enticing prospect for regional economic development.
“It opens up a lot of room for growth, and also a lot of better accessibility to the highway,” Schuchmann said.
No cost estimates are yet available for how much Wright City will pay for the Access Justification Report. The city is legally required to select a qualified engineer first, and then negotiate cost with that engineer second, Schuchmann said.
The Wright City government currently has $2.5 million set aside for the overall Stracks Church project, and hopes MoDOT will agree to contribute as much as four times that amount.
But for the project to move forward, the Federal Highway Commission needs to gives its blessing based on this initial report, which isn’t a guarantee. And even if they do get a green light, Schuchmann said a new interchange will still be years in the making.
