THE BYPASS IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES

Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) originally constructed the state highway system to connect cities of the state with two-lane highways. Cities have been developing immediately around the state highways since they were constructed. This development pattern has transformed major routes into local arterials, which is one reason why MoDOT recently adopted a goal to connect Missouri cities with four-lane divided highways. By constructing limited-access highways around the existing cities, the new highways will primarily serve through traffic. Much can be learned about the impact these freeway bypasses will have by examining research conducted for the 63-mile-long Route 50 corridor in central Missouri, between Sedalia and Jefferson City. The results of this specific project study show that the impacts upon the local community depend on several variables such as the size and geographic location of the city with respect to the proposed bypass. The vehicle origins and destinations of the traffic currently on the existing highway also strongly affect the benefit the local community receives from the new highway. The decision of whether to build the bypass within an urban area as opposed to building away from growth has tremendous impacts on eventual use by local traffic and the costs of the new bypass. Local traffic usage is also affected by the locations of new interchanges. Finally, consideration must be given to local citizens, who during the course of the study, may feel trapped by the process. Cities may be hesitant to invest in new development, because the location of the bypass will greatly impact desirability of land use. The Route 50 corridor study contained three different-sized cities that would be impacted differently based on their individual characteristics.