Greene County Commission standing with area landowners

GREENE COUNTY, Mo. – The Greene County Commission is offering its recommendation to the Missouri Department of Transportation against the expansion of James River Freeway.

The idea would extend the freeway towards the airport and then loop up into northern Springfield and also across Highways 13 and 65 and into Fair Grove.

On Tuesday, the Greene County Commission wrote a letter to the Ozarks Transportation Organization requesting a proposed James River Freeway expansion be removed from MoDOT’s list of high-priority needs.

I think it’s important to look at our county as a whole and understand the number of farmers’ and ranchers’ historical sites located and the direct path of where the expansion would be.

Marcy Greenwade is one of the main opponents of the proposal.

She says that the group, Opponents of James River Freeway North, has rallied concerned landowners together.

“I believe almost 500 individuals have signed a petition on our website calling on our state and local representatives to oppose any attempt to build a highway through northwest Greene County,” said Greenwade.

Amy Westermann also lives in the impacted region.

“You know, not every square inch of this county has to be developed in an urban-like setting. It is okay to keep things rural,” said Westermann.

She says this letter is a win for a lot of farmers in the area.

“Presiding commissioner Dixon, commissioner MacLachlan, commissioner Russell, they listened to their constituents,” Westermann said. “Their decision, as we understand it, is essentially to revoke support for this study for a proposed highway through that formal letter to MoDOT. You know, we think that demonstrates they care about the farmers, ranchers and residents in this rural part of northwestern Greene County. “

This is only a recommendation from the county, the project is a proposal by the state, which has the final say-so in moving forward with the study.

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