By KPR
Paducah, KY – An interstate highway between Cape Girardeau and Paducah is one step closer to reality. Cape Girardeau city officials announced Thursday a 3.6 million dollar grant for a feasibility study from the United States Department of Transportation. The highway would run from Interstate 55, cross the Mississippi, then snake across southern Illinois and ultimately connect with Interstate 24 into Paducah. The study will look at the highway's impact on the environment and archaeological sites. Cape Girardeau City Manager, Scott Meyer says it also takes into account forest mitigation in the Shawnee National Forest.
"After that study's complete, then you'll have an actual route, you won't have a design, but you'll a route that says its going to go here and here's what it's going to look like and here's how many interchanges. And then they begin to pull off projects and turn those in to construction projects."
If built, the interstate would cut travel time between Cape Girardeau and Paducah from an hour-and-a-half to 45 minutes. The highway will be part of the Interstate 66 project that will eventually run from coast to coast.