Innovation Description and Benefit:

Project No. 2P3062 involved raising approximately 1.3 miles of Route 61 in Clark County to drastically reduce the frequency of road closures due to the flooding of the Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers near the community of Alexandria, MO.  This project would increase the roadway profile by 2.5 feet between the levy system and the Des Moines River bridge near the Iowa border. To save time, money, and enhance safety in the area by eliminating the extensive detour to the hospital and emergency services, the Northeast District project development staff elected to utilize multiple lifts of asphalt base and asphalt pavement.  This approach allowed for the usage of one-lane traffic control with a pilot car and ultimately allowed the roadway to remain open for commuter, emergency services, and local business traffic.  All these concepts were thoroughly vetted through the District Core Team process. ​