KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Viewers at our August Let's Talk event in Belton expressed concerns about traffic along I-49. Ryan asked state lawmakers if they have any role in expanding the highway to Harrisonville in tandem with Cass County's growth. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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In August, KSHB 41 reported on the Missouri Department of Transportation's work to expand Interstate 49 from Grandview to Belton by 2028. Viewers shared their traffic concerns at KSHB 41's August Let's Talk event in Belton.
On Monday night, KSHB 41's Cass County reporter Ryan Gamboa followed up on those plans at a meeting with Rep. Sherri Gallick (R-Belton).
"I'm never going to say never on anything," Gallick said.
Cass County is seeing exponential growth along its northern border to Jackson County.
The city of Belton's 2050 Comprehensive Plan predicts the community will grow by approximately 5,000 residents.
That growth is already taking shape in city hall, which Gamboa has covered.
It includes an apartment development with 600 units along East 163rd and Turner Road. The project will bring additional dining and retail options and an entertainment district.
"That will set a new stage for development in that location," Matt Wright, Belton's director of community development, said in November.
Across the interstate, Raymore is seeing similar growth in other ways, with hundreds of housing permits and new homes.
The city has also invested in warehouse development at the Raymore Commerce Center.
The Raymore City Council approved more Industrial Revenue Bonds to allow NUULY, its parent company operating clothing giant Urban Outfitters, to expand to the full 1,000,000 square feet of its facility.
That expansion is expected to bring as many as 1,700 jobs.
The Raymore City Council also heard on Monday night the first reading of a proposal for a federal records storage facility that would bring a few hundred more jobs.
"As this continues to grow, our hope is that this continues to raise the bar for the interest we hope to see," David Gress, with the city of Raymore, told Gamboa in late November.
Raymore is working to bring more jobs to the area in tandem with its housing, and then attract more outside entertainment in the area.
But traffic on I-49 continues to be a topic of discussion for drivers.
"I can tell you, after 3 o’clock, you can forget it. Especially going south; it’s back to back," said Patrice Taylor, Grandview resident and frequent commuter. "I try to take the side roads just to get around it; it’s pretty bad."
Bryce Beilman, a Peculiar resident, has also experienced excessive traffic north of Belton.
"It backs up traffic all the way to Grandview, and sometimes up to the triangle there," he said.
I-49 is three lanes wide before the town's second exit at 163rd Street and gradually narrows to two lanes.
"Me going to Peculiar, I will always take the side roads," Beilman said. "I heard forever it was going to be three lanes all the way to Harrisonville, but that never happened."
Harrisonville has also seen growth with multiple companies expanding existing operations.
Jack Stack BBQ is investing $18 million to renovate a vacant building in Harrisonville for a meat processing facility, KSHB 41 first reported in November.
"Just kind of clean up that old eyesore that's been there for over a decade," Cass County leader Bing Schimmelfenning told Gamboa.
Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, was supposed to attend Monday night's meeting, but organizers told KSHB 41 he had to cancel.
While MoDOT's expansion of I-49 between Belton and Grandview will create some relief to some of the traffic issues, other lawmakers are opening their eyes to it.
"It's a good idea," said Rep. Anthony Ealy Jr., a Democrat from Grandview. "I think it's a good idea to expand the highway all the way from Grandview to Harrisonville."
"Next year and the next three years are going to be very tight on the budget," Rep. Gallick explained. "Just knowing with working with MoDOT on some different projects, they really do try to stick to their timeline. So I am not saying never. ... I do know that it is an issue because starting around 3:30, it's a backup."
Reps. Ealy and Gallick lead neighboring districts in the Missouri House of Representatives. Ealy told KSHB 41 he knows the traffic gets bad in his community, but he hasn't heard about issues from his constituents.
"It's a budget question and to also involve the Department of Transportation," he said. "We would have to find that money to allocate to those projects, at least on the House side. On the Senate side, that's a whole different package."
Gallick went on to add that it's a combination of state and federal dollars to help get a project like this done.
Patrice Taylor said she thinks state lawmakers should begin considering this project.
"It shouldn’t be no federal anything. It should be the state," she said. "People that have to drive these highways every day and utilize this area. It is definitely a safety hazard because people are merging in and coming off the ramps. That slows the traffic down... Three lanes would be fantastic."
The biggest obstacle in the next legislative session, according to the state lawmakers at Monday night's meeting, will be the budget. It could cause some issues with the priority of this project.
"I do think they need to come to grips and make some decisions on that," Taylor said.
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