ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region planned for the week of May 21 – 27 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. In addition to the work listed below, there may be pothole patching, mowing, shoulder work, bridge maintenance, striping, brush cutting, guardrail repairs, litter pick up and other road work conducted throughout the region. Many of these will be moving operations and could include lane closures with delays. All scheduled maintenance and construction projects are subject to change.

MoDOT reminds the public to stay alert, watch for road work, buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones and in changing weather conditions.

For more information about a project, please contact MoDOT at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest. You can also follow MoDOT’s Northwest Missouri District on Twitter @ModotNorthwest and on Facebook.

Andrew County

Interstate 29 – Bridge deck replacement project at the Nodaway River Bridge. Traffic is head to head in the northbound lanes. This traffic pattern will be in place through August and includes a 13-foot width restriction.

U.S. Route 71 – Resurfacing project from Route 48 to Route A (Nodaway County), May 21 – 27

Atchison County

U.S. Route 275 – Bridge maintenance at the McElroy Bridge, May 21 – 24

U.S. Route 275 – Bridge maintenance at the East Fork of High Creek Bridge, May 21 – May 27

U.S. Route 275 – Bridge maintenance at the West Fork of High Creek Bridge, May 25

Buchanan County

U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair from Route AC to the Missouri River, May 21 – 24

Caldwell County

U.S. Route 36 – Bridge maintenance at the Long Branch Bridge, May 22 – 27

Carroll County

Route KK – Shoulder and drainage work at County Road 101, May 21 – 25

Route M – Pavement repair, May 22 – 24

Chariton County

Route E – Pothole patching from Route 11 to Route 139, May 21

Route C – Bridge maintenance on the Hickory Branch Bridge, May 21 – 22

Routes EE and RA – Pothole patching, May 22

Route YY – Pothole patching, May 23

Route E – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route JJ to Route 5, May 23, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route D – Bridge maintenance at the Clark Branch Bridge and the Mussel Fork Creek Bridge, May 23 – 24

Clinton County

Route V – Chip seal from U.S. Route 69 to Route 33, May 21

Daviess County

Route 13 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Honey Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through September.

I-35 – Pavement repair from mile marker 64 (near Route 6) to mile marker 84 (near Route AA/H Harrison County), May 21 – 24

Route KK – CLOSED for a resurfacing project, May 21 – 23, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Route E – CLOSED for a resurfacing project from Santa Rosa to Route D (DeKalb County), May 24 – 25, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

DeKalb County

U.S. Route 36 – Pavement resurfacing and realignment project at the Route 33 North/Route M junction. Traffic is head to head in the eastbound lanes. This traffic pattern will be in place through July 3 and includes a 14-foot width restriction.

Route E – CLOSED for a resurfacing project from Route D to Santa Rosa (Daviess County), May 24 – 25, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Gentry County

Route C – Bridge maintenance at the Panther Creek Bridge, May 21 – 25

Grundy County

Route K – Pothole patching, May 23 – 24

Harrison County

Route AA/H – CLOSED for a bridge deck replacement at the I-35 overpass. The bridge will be closed through July. I-35 traffic will diverted up and over the on and off ramps at the exit beginning Tuesday May 29 for approximately 5 working days. No access to or from Routes AA or H will be permitted during this portion of the project.

I-35 – Pavement repair from mile marker 84 (near Route AA/H) to mile marker 64 (near Route 6 Daviess County), May 21 – 24

Route U – Pothole patching, May 24 – 25

Holt County

I-29 – Bridge deck replacement at the Nodaway River Bridge. Traffic is head to head in the northbound lanes. This traffic pattern will be in place through August and includes a 13-foot width restriction.

U.S. Route 59 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Davis Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through June.

I-29 – Resurfacing project and shoulder improvements from Route 118 to Route W, May 21 – 25. This includes a15-foot Width restriction.

Linn County

U.S. Route 36 – Shoulder improvements from just east of Route 11 to Route 5, May 21 – 27

Route YY – Pothole patching from the Chariton County line to Route 130, May 23 – 24

Route 130 – Pothole patching from Route YY to U.S. Route 36, May 24 – 25

Route KK – Pothole patching from Route B to Route K (Livingston County), May 25

Livingston County

U.S. Route 65 – Pavement repair from the north city limits of Chillicothe to the Iowa state line, May 21 – 27. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Route K – Pothole patching, May 21 – 22

Route KK – Pothole patching from Route K to Route B (Linn County), May 25

Mercer County

U.S. Route 136 – Bridge maintenance at the Weldon Branch Grand River Bridge, May 22 – 24. This will include overnight lane closures.

Nodaway County

U.S. Route 71 – Resurfacing project from Route A to just north of Route 48 (Andrew County), May 21 – 27

U.S. Route 136 – Shoulder improvements from east of the Maryville city limits to Route 46 in Ravenwood, May 21 – 25

Worth County

Route AA – CLOSED for a culvert replacement two miles east of Route C, May 22, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Northwest Missouri State University’s Office of Student Involvement and the Student Activities Council has announced its schedule for the 2018 Summer Movie Series.

Five movies comprise this summer’s series, which is free and open to the public.

All show times are 7 p.m. at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts.

Dates, movies and film ratings appear below.

For more information, contact Northwest’s Office of Student Involvement at (660) 562-1226 or sac@nwmissouri.edu.

·         June 13: “Coco” (PG)

·         June 27: “McFarland USA” (PG)

·         July 11: “Black Panther” (PG-13)

·         July 18: “Million Dollar Arm” (PG)

·         Aug. 8: “Invictus” (PG-13)

To kick off the 2018 Click It or Ticket seat belt initiative with the highest level of support, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is spearheading an awareness event.

According to a press release from the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, Border to Border (B2B) is a one-day national seat belt awareness kickoff event coordinated by participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. B2B aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible, seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled locations at state lines.

The B2B event will be held Monday, May 21, beginning the Click It or Ticket week which runs through June 3 and covers the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend.

“Past Border to Border initiatives have proved helpful toward our overall goal of spreading the message about the importance of buckling up,” said Colonel Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The B2B kickoff will include a four-hour enforcement crackdown from 4 to 8 p.m. on May 21.

The B2B program is also a successful study in collaboration between local law enforcement offices: During the 2017 B2B program, participating nationwide law enforcement offices issued citations for 5,695 seat belt and child car seat violations, as well as 14,619 citations for other traffic infractions. 

According to NHTSA, nearly half (48%) of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2016 were unrestrained. From 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., that number soared to 56 percent of those killed. That’s why one focus of this year’s B2B and Click It or Ticket campaigns is nighttime enforcement. During the week of Click It or Ticket, participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In Missouri the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $10.

“In 2016, 947 people died in Missouri traffic crashes, and 62 percent of the drivers and passengers killed were not wearing their seat belt. Many of those community members would have survived if they’d made the choice to buckle up,” said Colonel Karsten. “If one of your friends or a family member does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to change their habit. Help us spread this life-saving message before one more friend or family member dies needlessly. Seat belts save lives, and everyone—front seat and back, child and adult—needs to remember to buckle up—every trip, every time.”

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.saveMOlives.com or nhtsa.gov/ciot.  

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages Missourians to share their comments on a conservation plan of the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA) to help save monarch butterflies.

MAFWA, of which MDC is a member, welcomes public comments on its draft “Mid-America Monarch Conservation Strategy” through May 31.

According to MAFWA, eastern monarch numbers have declined by more than 80 percent over the past 20 years. This decline is primarily due to habitat loss, including reduced numbers of milkweed plants that monarch caterpillars feed on, and fewer nectar plants that migrating monarchs feed from. State wildlife agencies, including MDC, and partners are planting milkweed to create more monarch habitat, but more work is needed.

According to a press release, the draft plan builds on these and other existing efforts of state, federal, and local agencies, along with private organizations and individuals. It covers a 16-state region stretching from Texas to the Upper Midwest that encompasses the primary production and migratory habitat areas for eastern monarchs – including Missouri.

The draft plan identifies conservation goals and strategies for improving monarch habitat on natural areas, agricultural lands, urban lands, and other areas. The plan focuses on habitat restoration and enhancement, but also includes education and outreach, research, and monitoring needs related to monarch conservation.

“In addition to their beauty, monarch butterflies are an important native species when it comes to much of the food we eat,” said MDC Private Land Services Division Chief Bill White. “One out of every three mouthfuls of food and drink we consume depends upon pollinators such as butterflies, bees, and other species.”

He added that the Mid-America Monarch Conservation Strategy is the first phase of a long-term strategy to help save these important pollinators.

“Our efforts in Missouri are an important part of the plan and we hope every Missourian takes action to help us save monarchs and other pollinators,” White said.

For more information, a copy of the draft conservation plan, and how to submit comments, visit the MAFWA website.

OSBORN, Mo. – Route 33 North at Route 36 will close soon as a resurfacing and realignment project continues in DeKalb County.

According to a press release, the Missouri Department of Transportation contracted with Herzog Contracting Corporation to realign and resurface the westbound lanes of U.S. Route 36 near the junction with Route 33 North and Route M.

Traffic is diverted off the westbound lanes via crossovers and all traffic is now head to head in the eastbound lanes. Throughout the head-to-head traffic, drivers have been restricted to right turns only at the Route 33 North/Route M intersection and access across U.S. Route 36 has been closed.

As the project moves into one of the final stages, crews will begin to pave the newly aligned westbound lanes and reconstruction the Route 33 North intersection. In order to safely and efficiently complete this work, access to Route 33 North will be closed to all traffic while a new intersection is constructed. Crews will close the U.S. Route 36 and Route 33 North intersection at approximately 9 a.m. on May 29. The intersection will remain closed around the clock and is anticipated to reopen the evening of June 8.

Traffic control, signs and message boards are in place alerting motorists of the work. All work is weather permitting and could be rescheduled.

MoDOT encourages all travelers to slow down, especially in work zones. As always, please buckle up, eliminate distractions, pay attention and drive safely so everyone is able to Arrive Alive.

For more information on this or other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter and Facebook.

Saturday A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Southeast wind 6 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

If you’re heading outdoors this weekend, pay close attention to the weather, especially tomorrow evening. Storms should develop in two rounds, the first of which will begin early in the morning. The second, more intense, round will then form tomorrow evening. pic.twitter.com/wIggtzc4lL

— NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) May 18, 2018

Saturday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 7pm and 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph becoming north northeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph becoming west northwest in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. West northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.

Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.