Major improvement on Highway 37 in Barry County has been placed on the Missouri Highway Department’s current five-year plan, according to Wilbur Stegner, district engineer. The highway official told the Cassville Chamber of Commerce roads and highway committee Friday of the plan. Current thinking of the department is for construction of that stretch of the highway that extends northward from the Missouri-Arkansas line to an intersection with Route 90 at Washburn. The length if improved would be about nine miles. Stegner told the committee the project going into a five year plan was the second attempt by the department to get the stretch improved. A previous five-year plan was dropped several years ago when construction costs soar-ed. Although the improvement is planned, it would leave a stretch of about nine miles yet to be accomplished to completely redesign Highway 37 from Monett to the state line. The 19 miles separating Cassville and Monett were finished several years ago. Right-of-way acquisition would be the first step in the project. Stegner acknowledged basic location of the route was pretty well decided during the previous plan period. He said costs involved would necessitate a two phase development of the road from the state line to Cassville. Final determination of the project will depend on funds available, energy crunch, and gas tax returns to the state. Committee members, Truman Baker and Carter Koon, co-chairmen, Wayne Krepps, Tom Cardin, with C of C president Bob Mitchell, director Kenneth Johnston and secretary Bill Ward met with Stegner. The engineer was also concerned about pending traffic problems in and around Cassville with the coming of FASCO to this community. He said a traffic and plans team would be summoned here to make a complete survey. Of particular interest to the department are intersections at Highway 37 and Route 248 that will be served by the Sales Barn Road. Stegner also urged the highway planning group to proceed with their plans to request improvement on Route 76 east of Cassville to connect with new Highway 39 into the central Table Rock Lake area. Local planners are desirous of having this improvement planned to make better access to Cassville and Roaring River State Park. The park possibility would be a natural circle drive for the thousands of tourists in the respective areas throughout the year. Stegner also noted that better direction signing of the Highway 76 turn-off would be accomplished soon as the Route 39 project nears completion. Highway 76 from Cassville to Route 39 is designated a primary system road in the department’s classification. Route 39 is a supplementary road. Stegner said the desired improvement pointed out by the C of C group would be included on a higher classification route, which made the possibilities of up-dating very good. Requests are being prepared for forwarding to the Highway Commission and engineering staff in Jefferson City, requesting early consideration of both programs of highway improvement to serve this area.
