Crews from Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc. of Columbia, began work on Missouri Route 3 Monday. The road has been closed since March 15, 2021, when engineers determined it could slide away due to the oversaturated ground near a rock quarry.

The section of roadway is approximately two miles south of U.S. Route 24. MO 3 is the main route for travelers from Howard County to Huntsville (Westran) and Moberly. 

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), the project will realign the roadway after a significant slide in the area resulted in unstable soil conditions, necessitating the closure nearly three years ago. An environmental evaluation has been conducted to determine a viable design solution, which included a review of soil conditions, slopes of the quarry pits on either side of Route 3, and the excavated caves below this area. The proposed work includes shifting the road to the west by 15’-30’ and lowering it by 10’-15’ to ensure a favorable location.

The project is expected to cost $2,670,937.

“This project will realign 3,100 feet of roadway between County Road 2130 and Sweet Spring Creek in Randolph County. The roadway will remain closed at the project site during construction, with all work scheduled to be completed by Fall 2024,” stated MoDOT Area Engineer Emily Edgar.