New J-turn design engineered to work for farm equipment

scottw@standard-democrat.com

SIKESTON -- MoDOT has adjusted their J-turn design to take into account local farm equipment.

The Missouri Department of Transportation received a lot of comments on the Southeast District's plan to replace two traditional at-grade intersections located near Sikeston with a new design for at-grade crossing called J-turns.

Most of the comments were related to concerns by local farmers that MoDOT's plan to replace the at-grade crossings on Highway 60 intersection with Highway E south of Morehouse and at Highway 60's intersection with Highway FF, located by Delta Grower Association between Sikeston and Morehouse, with J-turns wouldn't work here as the large farm equipment used in this area would have difficulty maneuvering J-turns.

There are farming operations on both sides of the highway near Morehouse, for example, with farm ground on both sides requiring them to cross Highway 60 with farm equipment several times a day.

"We listened to the concerns of the agricultural community," said Mark Shelton, district engineer for MoDOT's Southeast District.

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