Motorists eager to travel over eight miles of newly constructed U.S. Route 50 in Moniteau County will soon get their wish. After a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration on Monday, July 19, the new highway will open to traffic during the mid-morning hours of July 20, 2010.
The public is invited to walk or ride bicycles on the new Route 50 between 4 and 5:45 p.m. on July 19. MoDOT will also have various roadway safety educational activities available, such a seat belt convincer that simulates the effect of a five mph car crash, an appearance by Buckle Bear, and a basketball activity involving "fatal vision" goggles that simulate impairment.
All donated food items will go to the United Methodist Church Food Pantry in California to benefit residents of Moniteau County.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. in the new eastbound lanes, just west of the Route 87 interchange. State and local dignitaries will be present to celebrate the project's completion.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, a parade of vehicles will allow those who attend to be among the first to drive the new highway before it officially opens to traffic.
The new Route 50 in Moniteau County consists of four lanes from Route K to the Route 87 interchange. From Route 87 around California, the highway is two lanes with paved shoulders. Work started in October 2008 and cost $24.8 million.
For more information about this project, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or log onto www.modot.org/central.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG