Located in southwestern Missouri, Springfield is the third largest city in the state. Springfield's population has been steadily rising, and as of 2023, it was over 170,000. The city draws many commuters from surrounding suburbs, including Ozark, Missouri, which is 15 miles to the southeast. To improve the connection between Ozark and Springfield, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and general contractor Capital Paving & Construction are in the middle of a project on U.S. Route 65.
U.S. Route 65 runs through the Midwest from Clayton, Louisiana, to Albert Lea, Minnesota. That means the route runs through all of Missouri, including Christian County (one of the fastest growing in the state), where Ozark is located. The city has a population of approximately 23,000 and serves as the county seat.
The average daily traffic along the route between Ozark and Springfield is 65,000. Over the years, MoDOT has widened U.S. Route 65 from four to six lanes between Ozark and Springfield.
"This project is a continuation of the six lanes, and it is 3 miles south of Ozark," said Brad Gripka, a Resident Engineer for MoDOT, overseeing the project. "Drivers from several communities use the route to get to Springfield."
In the area where construction occurs, traffic backs up due to the smaller capacity. The issue occurs northbound in the morning and southbound in the evening.
Another reason for the backup is that U.S. Route 65 intersects with Route 14. Running through southern Missouri from West Plains to a few miles west of Ozark, the road is used by many in Christian County.
"The drivers along this stretch of U.S. Route 65 are primarily commuters from around Christian County who are traveling to Springfield, though there is some truck traffic," Gripka said.
He added that traffic volumes increase between April and October. The reason is that vacationers are headed to Branson, Missouri, 30 miles south of Ozark. According to the city of Branson’s website, the family vacation destination offers more than 100 live shows and bills itself as “America's Top Live Music Show Destination.”
Along with the widening of U.S. Route 65, other work includes:
- Adding a lane in each direction in the median between Route CC/J and Route 14. The extra lane runs for 3.2 miles.
- Adding an auxiliary lane (1.4 miles) in each direction that connects the interchange ramps between Route 14 and Route F.
- Widening the north and southbound Route 65 bridges over Finley Creek south of Route 14. The creek meanders through Christian County and is a tributary of the James River.
- Owner: Missouri Department of Transportation; Darrell Cook, Project Designer; Brad Gripka, Project Engineer
- General Contractor: Capital Paving & Construction, Jefferson, Missouri
- Other Key Contractors:Garver, North Little Rock, Arkansas Photos courtesy of Capital Paving & Construction, Jefferson, Missouri
During construction, the contract requires the team to keep two lanes of traffic open on U.S. Route 65. However, the team can periodically close lanes on the weekends and overnight on the route.
MoDOT put in some traffic shifts while the team worked on a new superstructure for the bridge over Finley Creek. The team installed drill shafts to support the structure. During this time (spring 2024), some flooding had occurred at Finley Creek. So, the team focused on other work elements while waiting for the area to be sufficiently dry to install the shafts.
Like much of the country, temperatures in and around Christian County were lower than usual during the winter of 2024 and 2025. Due to this, the team was only able to do a minimal amount of grading.
"Normally, we can do some work in the winter months, including grading," Gripka said. "However, because the weather has been harsher than normal, our operations were much more limited than normal this past winter."
The project already includes an aggressive schedule, so delays will make completing the schedule on time more challenging. Gripka does not expect the harsh winter to significantly affect the project, as the team was not anticipating doing much work during the winter.
The team has dealt with rocky conditions in some locations. During the installation of the storm sewer, rock was encountered and slowed down the production rates.
The schedule called for the team to focus on the bridge first before working north and widening the roads. The bridge was designed to widen the existing bridge structures into the median, widen the existing structure to the outside, and remove and replace the deck off the existing bridges.
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Gripka said that the team focused on the bridge first due to the phasing of the bridge construction, providing safe clearance for the contractor to work, and removal of the existing structure.
“With the existing bridge sub and super structures being left in place, the traffic had to [be] detoured onto the new structures to complete the final widening [of] the existing structures,” he said.
According to Gripka, the team is applying lessons learned to keep traffic moving while work is progressing.
"We put up a temporary barrier wall, narrowed lanes to 10 feet in width, and are working on one mile at a time while putting in a new sewer,” he said. “This will allow traffic to flow without increased interruptions and keep the contractor safe."
The team is installing an outlet pipe that is larger than the original one that would impact the northbound lanes of U.S. Route 65. Originally, the plan was to close one northbound lane at a time, but Capital Paving suggested closing both northbound U.S. 65 lanes to get it done in one shot.
"Doing it all at one time is quicker," Gripka said. "The contractor is bringing extra crews to handle this project element in the allotted time."
The work is taking place overnight on Sundays and into Monday mornings.
"This is the least peak traffic time, and volumes are low enough where closure will not cause significant impact on commuters," Gripka said.
MoDOT has partnered with Capital Paving many times. The contractor is headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri. Capital is a large outfit and is in its third generation of family ownership. According to the firm’s website, they are committed to "building long-term relationships based on safety, quality, and innovative solutions." Gripka said he has been pleased with Capital.
"They have innovative ideas and are good communicators,” he said. “They have a good communication plan on the senior management side and know our processes well."
Construction on the project began in November 2023, and it is expected to wrap up in November 2025. The project is currently slightly behind schedule due to the harsh winter and the unexpected rocky conditions. Gripka expects the project to finish on schedule.
"Capital is adding additional crews to help us keep on schedule, and the bridge — a key step in the critical path — has been completed," Gripka said.
The project has a budget of $30.3 million and is being financed by the federal and state governments.
At the time of writing this article, the project is slightly over budget. Gripka attributes this to some changes that were made. The existing MoDOT fiber, which is used for traffic cameras, conflicted with the widening of the bridge and new auxiliary lane between Route 14 and Route F. The fiber has been removed and will be reinstalled once the auxiliary lane and bridge is widened.
"I'm hopeful that by the time the project closes, we will be on budget or maybe even below budget,” Gripka said. “I attribute this to good communication, staying ahead of the plan, foresight, and minimal overruns."
When the project is completed, drivers in Christian County will enjoy a smoother ride along U.S. Route 65. The increased capacity will improve traffic flow and end the regular backups. The auxiliary lanes will make merging onto the route easier. It will eliminate the weaves, increasing safety and traffic flow. So, whether traffic is headed to Springfield for work or Branson for a vacation, their drive will be improved.
