Manchester Road could get something of a makeover. We're talking about a five-mile stretch from Missouri route 109 to 141. The East-West Gateway Council of Government is looking for your input. It's the sponsor of the Manchester Road Great Streets project. If you've driven on Manchester you know what a pain it can be. Many drivers we talked with say it's next to impossible to take a left turn through oncoming traffic. It's one of the busiest roads and one of the most frustrating.
This week there will be a series of "Public Visioning Sessions". If you've got vision, stop by. We were at a session Monday night. You get a good idea of the magnitude of the master plan that they're trying to put together. It has to cover not only traffic flow and congestion but economic development in the area, bike trails, sidewalks, possible east-west routes running parallel to Manchester to ease some of the burden on the roadway.
The funding for the master plan comes from stimulus money. There's $1.1 million dedicated to the plan. But, right now, there's no money set aside for engineering and construction. We're told this is a plan that encompasses the "big picture". We're talking about a ten, twenty or thirty year time frame here.
If you want to know more about it check out www.ewgateway.org/manchester
