Stop the Kansas Expressway Extension!
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The mission of the North-South Corridor Alliance is to educate, promote, and advocate the rights of taxpayers for the best use of funding for a roadway logically suited to accommodate and improve traffic between southern Greene County and northern Christian County.
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It's Time to Take Action!
Our voices as taxpayers, homeowners and citizens have not been heard. We have been fighting this initiative for over 20 years. The road that is planned today is not the road that they sold to the public and it's time those responsible be held accountable.
Join this grass roots campaign to help resolve this issue. |
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Traffic Increase Concerns
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The Kansas Expressway Extension is planned to be a TWO LANE ROAD that starts at Republic Road and stops at Weaver Road until financing allows the next phase to be
built, and stop either at Plainview Road or in a field. Neither road is equipped to handle the traffic it has today, and will become a danger to residents with Weaver seeing a 34.6% increase in traffic from Campbell and Plainview seeing a staggering 76.4% increase. Totals from Cox Road are 57.3% for Weaver and 52% for Plainview. The time line for this project is 20 years to complete with the extension potentially halted at Weaver and/or Plainview for numerous years. Also, FR145/Kansas Road already connects Weaver to Republic, and is a two lane road. -Hwy FF/West Bypass was the #1 choice in the OTO North/South Corridor study. -Campbell was #2. -Kansas Expwy was #3, but chosen only because Greene County owned much of the right-of-way; compounding a $3M error with a $30M error for the expansion. Traffic on Weaver will increase from 7,480 cars per day to 10,070 Traffic on Plainview will increase from 9,540 cars per day to 16,830 ****** The data showing these increases in cars was not made available to the public prior to, or during, the public information sessions.****** |
Environmental Concerns
Greene county published the Kansas Expressway Extension project Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) on March 7, 2017. This document was open to the public for 45 days to review and express any concerns. The Alliance hired Spencer Fane environmental attorney to review the over 200 page EA, and they found numerous deficiencies and possible violations of the National Environmental Policy Act. They then sent a 24 page letter to the Greene County Highway Department that included all of our comments and concerns regarding the EA and project. Some of the environmental concerns include, but are not limited to the following.
1. With concerns to air quality; rather solely focusing on vehicle emissions in the study, the EA should also assess the air quality impacts directly associated with removing 45 ACRES OF TREES, and replacing them with four lane roadways in the middle of a residential community.
2. Regarding noise; The EA falls short in identifying ways to mitigate those impacts. The analysis is inadequate and incomplete.
3. Regarding threatened and endangered bat species along the route; The EA's assessment of potential impacts to threatened and endangered species of Bats is inadequate, incomplete, and insufficient to meet the requirements of NEPA. The Homeowners are concerned that if the plan were to proceed, it would violate NEPA and the Endangered Species Act.
4. Regarding soils and geology; the EA failed to investigate and analyze potential impacts and hazards required by NEPA concerning soils and geological structures (i.e. caves and streams).
5. Regarding construction impacts; because the proposed construction activities are to take place over a period of 20 years or more, even minimal impacts - such as impacts to air quality, water quality, and protected habitat - should be assessed over the span of the proposed project construction timeline.
Also, it appears that the cooperating agencies may have violated NEPA by predetermining the outcome the environmental analysis prior to conducting the EA.
1. With concerns to air quality; rather solely focusing on vehicle emissions in the study, the EA should also assess the air quality impacts directly associated with removing 45 ACRES OF TREES, and replacing them with four lane roadways in the middle of a residential community.
2. Regarding noise; The EA falls short in identifying ways to mitigate those impacts. The analysis is inadequate and incomplete.
3. Regarding threatened and endangered bat species along the route; The EA's assessment of potential impacts to threatened and endangered species of Bats is inadequate, incomplete, and insufficient to meet the requirements of NEPA. The Homeowners are concerned that if the plan were to proceed, it would violate NEPA and the Endangered Species Act.
4. Regarding soils and geology; the EA failed to investigate and analyze potential impacts and hazards required by NEPA concerning soils and geological structures (i.e. caves and streams).
5. Regarding construction impacts; because the proposed construction activities are to take place over a period of 20 years or more, even minimal impacts - such as impacts to air quality, water quality, and protected habitat - should be assessed over the span of the proposed project construction timeline.
Also, it appears that the cooperating agencies may have violated NEPA by predetermining the outcome the environmental analysis prior to conducting the EA.
Donations are needed to help fund the making of our brochures and hand outs, yard signs and lawyers. If you can help, please mail checks made out to "North-South Corridor Alliance" and mail to the address below. A receipt will be mailed to you. Thank you!
North South Corridor Alliance
1717 E Republic Rd.
Suite A
Springfield, MO 65804
northsouthcorridor@yahoo.com
North South Corridor Alliance
1717 E Republic Rd.
Suite A
Springfield, MO 65804
northsouthcorridor@yahoo.com