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User:Rt66lt/Missouri stub

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{{Infobox road}}

James River Freeway is a fourteen mile-long freeway located largely on the south side of Springfield, Missouri. Its western terminus is at Interstate 44 north of Brookline and its eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 65 in southeastern Springfield. It is named for James River which passes near the highway, at the freeway's eastern terminus. A total of four highways (and one business route) are routed on the highway: Missouri State Highway 360, U.S. Route 60, U.S. Route 160, Missouri State Highway 13, and Business U.S. Route 65. A railroad (low-volume) crosses the freeway a few hundred feet west of the US 65 intersection. James River Freeway is part of a proposed Interstate 66 across southern Missouri.

History

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As Springfield began to expand to the south, traffic began to grow rapidly on Missouri Supplemental Route M (known locally as Republic Road) causing significant traffic problems. A proposal for a new highway on the south side (Interstate 44 in on the north, and US 65, also a freeway, is on the east) had been around for some time. By the early 1990s, the road was under construction. It opened in four sections:

Section 1

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The first section connected US 160 (Campbell Avenue) with US 65. It took over a slightly reworked Glenstone Avenue which had been around previously and built not-quite to freeway standards. When the original highway had turned, an interchange was built and Glenstone Avenue turned west to become Republic Road. The new south outer road (east of the interchange) now became Glenstone Avenue. Republic Road became a brief also crossed over the same interchange and continued east. At this point, SSR M was routed down the freeway and Republic Road became a city street.

Section 2

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The second section was a relatively short section connecting Kansas Expressway and Campbell Avenue. Shortly after the road was opened, US 60 was rerouted so that it turned south on Kansas Expressway (previously, a city street), then joined the James River Freeway, continuing on east past Glenstone where the road originally joined the freeway.

Section 3

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The third section connected US 60 with Kansas Expressway. At the same time it was opened, West Bypass (which previously ended at Sunshine Street to the north, then US 60) was extended south and provided access to west Battlefield Road. US 60 was re-routed down the new stretch of freeway at this time and US 160 was rerouted down West Bypass, joining the freeway for a few miles before turning off again at Campbell Ave.

Section 4

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The final section connected Interstate 44 with US 60. SSR MM had long served as a bypass on the west side of the city, running through the former town of Brookline. A two-lane road that was over capacity for its traffic. The final section served to connect these two roads, also provide traffic relief for US 65 on the east side of the city by providing a direct path from Interstate 44 on the west side of Springfield with US 60, a major east-west road on the south side of the state east of the city (much traffic had had to travel to US 65 and head south to US 60).

Control cities

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Between I-44 and US 60:

  • "To Route 60"
  • "To Interstate 44"

Between US 60 and US 65:

At US 65:

List of exits (west to east)

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Future plans

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Glenstone Avenue interchange

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Due to increased commercial development on Glenstone Avenue near the freeway, MoDOT has proposed redoing the interchange to remove the current traffic lights, possibly including a loop to carry traffic to eastbound US 60 from Glenstone. Additionally, a new overpass for Republic Road (which can only cross over the freeway by using the Glenstone overpass) would also relieve traffic on Glenstone.

US 60 & US 65

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The current cloverleaf interchange has been the source of many accidents due to the development of Branson several miles to the south. Also, the railroad crossing (which crosses not only the freeway itself, but one of the ramps) has also resulted in numerous accidents from vehicles (such as buses and trucks carrying hazardous materials which were required to stop whether a train was present or not). The current highway east of Glenstone, curves to and then travels downhill to the crossing, the interchange with US 65, and crosses James River, before curving due east and going uphill. A proposed plan is to completely tear out the old road and build a long viaduct between the two hills (which would remove the railroad intersection) and new fly-over ramps for the interchange at US 65. This may not happened for ten years or more.

West of Interstate 44

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Suggestions have also been made to continue the freeway west and north of I-44 to the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport, though no decision has been made. This would likely involve interchanges for Missouri State Highway 266 and SSR EE.

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