August 23, 2024
You can continue to follow developments at:
And request to join the Facebook private group: SWMO Citizens Fighting to Save Farms from James River North Loop
Providing information about an ambitious plan to extend JRF north and create an interstate loop around Springfield.
This new limited-access highway extension would begin north from I44 by carving through rural farms, acreages, and native habitat between UU and AB. Estimated cost begins at 800 million dollars.
MoDOT (Missouri Dept. of Transportation) claims that this New North Corridor will "increase economic growth and improve safety". It is on their July 2024 Tier 1 Unfunded Needs List.
I first heard about this plan on the Facebook private group Neighborhood Watch Farm Rd. 79-84 & Surrounding Area (join by invitation or contact admin Mandy Conner-Humphrey). There was a post from a friend of Brad Mowell, author of the Man of Missouri watchdog blog and Facebook City of Willard - Citizen Group. His recent article "Effort Underway to Eventually Extend James River Freeway through Northern & Western Greene County" is a must-read.
The following characters represent the interests of metropolitan Springfield.
Rusty MacLachlan, Commissioner 1st District
417-868-4112 - rmaclachlan@greencountymo.gov
Along with building the North Loop JRF, his vision for the future includes the development of an industrial complex and extensive development at I44 and new I244 loop.
Expect renewed efforts for a water treatment plant on Clear Creek and a land plan that encourages, among other things, housing developments, warehouses, and manufacturing. (Rusty has expressed a strong prejudice against people moving to the area to live on an acreage).
Bill Owen, State Representative District 131
573-751-2948 (office) - Bill.Owen@house.mo.gov
I had a phone conference with Rep. Owen and confirmed that Sen. Curtis Trent and he submitted a request for a 1.5 million dollar feasibility study in the 2024 budget.
Sara Fields, Executive Director Ozarks Transportation Organization
417-865-3042 ext. 102 - sfields@ozarktransportation.org
This organization does good work, but I'm not exactly sure how or why they're involved. (Interesting that Rusty is a voting member on the OTO board of directors).
The area under discussion isn't in the scope of the governor approved OTO Metropolitan Planning Area designated in their 2025-28 Transportation Improvement Program and Destination 2045 documents. But she still mentioned OTO interest and support of the project. Her main talking point was that this could take decades - so why worry.
July 30 note: Since the designation "WW" was attached to the project, it actually is in their area.
Frank Miller, MoDOT SW District Planning
417-895-7727
He explained that the submission for the Tier 1 - Unfunded Road and Bridge Needs for the "North Corridor" project was made by the OTO Technical Committee (Willard Dir. of Planning and Development is on that committee) and approved by the Board of Directors (Rusty MacLachlan is on that board).
Jason Ray, Executive Dir. SMCOG (SW Missouri Council of Governments)
He confirms that this is a High Priority Unfunded Project for them, as well, even though research did NOT confirm that a north corridor would provide Hwy 13 congestion relief as claimed by proponents. He actually indicated that an expressway from Hwy 13 to I65 may be the best solution.
