Primrose Street widening project will be completed by November

(From the City of Springfield)

In anticipation of the first day of school in Springfield Tuesday, the City encourages Kickapoo High School students, parents, teachers and staff to allow plenty of travel time to school and expect delays due to construction related to the Primrose Street Widening Project, which began in April and will be complete in November. Motorists are asked to reduce speed and use caution while traveling through the work zone.

“We know the construction schedule for this project is not ideal and we apologize for the ongoing inconvenience,” says Public Works project manager Andrew Flippin. “We are working closely with Springfield Public Schools and meeting weekly with Kickapoo High School to continue making adjustments to the work zone to help with traffic flow and safety. We hope the public will be pleased with the improvements once this project is complete in the fall.”

Jefferson and Primrose closures

Jefferson Avenue is closed for approximately 30 days from Primrose Street to 100 feet north of the intersection. All Kickapoo High School driveways on Jefferson will remain open and accessible from the north only via Walnut Lawn or Powell streets.

Primrose Street is reduced to two lanes with no center turn lane between South Avenue and Kimbrough Avenue. In an effort to reduce potential congestion, motorists are encouraged to avoid making left turns within the work zone. Students and faculty are advised to access school parking lots on Primrose from the east or on Jefferson from the north.

Primrose Street is open to two-way traffic during the day, but various nighttime and weekend closures are expected and will be announced with as much notice as possible.

“It may not be obvious to the public, but a significant amount of progress was made on this project over the summer,” Flippin explains. “Much of the work performed on roadway projects is actually done underground. Gas and water relocations along Primrose are now complete and a majority of the planned stormwater improvements are also done.”

In the coming weeks, motorists will begin to see intersection improvements and grading work along Primrose where the new roadway will be laid.

About the Project

The Primrose Street Widening Project involves the widening of Primrose Street to five lanes between South Avenue and Kimbrough Avenue, including the construction of bike lanes on both sides of the roadway and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalks. New traffic signals will be added at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Primrose. Also included is the construction of new City Utilities gas and water facilities and the installation of a sewer main to provide service to Kickapoo High School’s athletic facilities.

Utilities improvements involved in the project will be reimbursed by City Utilities, with sanitary sewer improvements being funded by Springfield Public Schools. The remaining costs for the project will be funded through the City’s voter-approved ¼-cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax.

The contractor completing the improvements is Hartman & Company.

For more information and project updates, visit the project webpage at springfieldmo.gov/primrose.