Traffic on U.S. Highway 65 near Ozark often looks like ants that found a sugar cookie on the ground.
Cars and trucks zoom north and south almost constantly, weaving from lane to lane to gain a better position.
With about 65,000 vehicles traveling between Christian County Route CC/J and Missouri Highway 14 daily, the Missouri Department of Transportation is widening the road from four to six lanes.
For those who travel the highway frequently, a come-and-go public meeting is scheduled for 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7 at the OTC Richwood Valley Campus, Life Science Center Building Room LCS 224, 3369 W. Jackson St. in Ozark.
“We want to show people what the project’s going to look like when it’s done and we want to let those who travel down that road know about the future traffic impacts,” said Regan Mitchell, communications specialist at the Missouri Department of Transportation. “We also want them to know 65 will stay open.”
Those who attend the meeting will have opportunities to ask questions and learn how the project will affect traffic during construction and what it will look like when it’s done.
Those who can’t attend the meeting can view exhibits, get information and leave comments at https://www.modot.org/southwest or call MoDOT’s Southwest District Office at (417) 895-7600.
The best part of highway construction is the completion
Bobbie Ligon, co-owner of Magnolia’s Market and Boutique on North 17th Street in Ozark, said she knows the highway construction will be a headache, but she’s glad it’s happening.
Ligon said she is not concerned about the impact on her business, but she is worried about safety on the route she takes daily to and from her store behind Lambert’s Cafe, just off Christian County Route CC/J.
“I hope people will slow down,” she said.
Tracy Williams, who lives in Springfield and commutes to her job at Magnolia’s, said she expects the construction to add a few minutes to her drive, but she’s also glad the project is underway.
“It’s going to be a pain,” she said, laughing. “Any kind of road construction is a pain.”
Ligon and Williams both said they’re looking forward to a wider highway and they’re willing to deal with the slow downs construction will cause.
Once completed in November 2025, Highway 65 will have an additional lane in each direction, built in what is presently the median. An auxiliary lane will connect the interchange ramps between Missouri Highway 14 and Christian County Route F, the southernmost of Ozark's three major Highway 65 exits.
Crews began bridge construction for the widening of the bridges over Finley Creek with no traffic impacts in November 2023.
Once other portions of the project begin, travelers can expect nighttime and weekend lane closings, traffic congestion and traffic shifts to accommodate bridge work.
The estimated project cost is $30.3 million.
