Kearney Postpones Interchange Bid

The Kearney Board of Alderman voted unanimously to request the Missouri Department of Transportation to postpone bid letting of the I-35 Interchange project to the fall. The vote was taken in an executive session of last week’s board meeting.

There is never a good time for tough decisions - Mayor Randy Pogue

“There is never a good time for tough decisions,” Mayor Randy Pogue said about the situation. “The measure was brought up in order to allow more time for right-of-way acquisition to have been completed so that the City will better understand the impact of acquisition costs on total project cost.

This delay of bid letting is not expected to substantially change our projected timeline.”

According to meeting documents, MoDOT scheduled to advertise the interchange project for bid on April 15. However the City has still not been informed of some of the property owners’ land values in the area. Those values are still to be determined by the Circuit Court-appointed Commission for the right of way acquisition.

The City needs the land values because the City assumes all costs of MoDOT’s $10 million commitment and the cost of right of way could exceed the $24 million in bonds that are issued for the project.

Aldermen felt that moving the bid letting to the fall was necessary due to unanticipated, potentially budget-busting valuations on right of way being purchased by MoDOT from private property owners.

“While the State is capped at a $10 million commitment—the City must assume all cost overruns,” according to Aldermen meeting minutes. “There have many unanticipated cost overruns—too many—so much that it now threatens to exceed the City’s $24 million bond authorization for the project.”

Kearney Aldermen have taken to social media to keep citizens informed about the current interchange situation.

Alderman Lehman released a statement about the current status of the process with a property owner, “We have most of the right of way secured or at least the property owners are not asking an outlandish price, however we do have a landowner that is asking an astronomical price for the land and quite frankly could stall the project or cause it to not happen at all.”

Alderman Barger released a statement explaining where the City is in the process with MoDOT, “Delaying the bid to the fall is solely because MoDOT is still trying to negotiate with landowners for right-of-way acquisition. Without understanding the total cost of that, it is fiscally irresponsible to move forward. My hope is that we will be able to let the bid this fall without significant delays in the project.

The city does not anticipate moving the bid letting process to the fall to affect the I-35 Interchange Project: “We have applied for $5.5 million additional funding through Congressman Sam Grave’s office.

We will also be evaluating other funding options,” state Alderman meeting notes.

“No one should doubt the City’s resolve to get this interchange built, and we will continue to work with MoDOT to seek its completion. The good news is the fall bid letting should not significantly affect the project time line for the interchange to be opened to traffic, which is projected to be summer, 2023.”

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story