The Route MM widening project in southwest Missouri has secured a significant grant. The project was awarded a $23.5 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant, the Ozarks Transportation Organization (OTO) announced.
Project Details
The grant will help fund the second and third phases of improvements to Route MM, a corridor that provides access to an Amazon Fulfillment Center and the Convoy of Hope global headquarters, among other large employers. Work is already underway on the first phase of improvements, which will replace the stretch of MM between Farm Road 160 and Route 60 with a new, four-lane highway.
Phases 2 and 3 are similar in the types of improvements planned for MM, but encompass different sections of MM. The widened MM will also be separated by a new raised median, with breaks at certain intersections. The project is intended to improve safety, reduce congestion, and better accommodate the increasing commuter and freight traffic.
According to the OTO, more than 3,000 jobs are located along the Route MM corridor, and the improvements planned for MM provide the potential for an additional 3,000 jobs. The project has received funding from OTO, Greene County, and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), in addition to the BUILD grant.
Original reporting: Springfield Daily Citizen — read the source article.
