Highway 92 redesign in Platte City moves forward despite business owner concerns over access

PLATTE CITY, Mo — KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.

—
For months, business owners along Highway 92 in Platte City have raised concerns that a new median and the elimination of left turns could make it harder for customers to reach them. The city says it understands those concerns — but says safety has to come first.

Construction on the Highway 92 redesign is expected to begin as early as next spring , with the bulk of the work potentially completed by the end of 2027.

Steve Silvestri

Dr. Valerie Partch owns Jackson Animal Clinic, a business that has been along Highway 92 for more than 35 years. She says the city has been listening — but that listening and being heard are two different things.

Steve Silvestri

"They listen, but you do not feel heard," Partch said.

Partch says she is not against improving Highway 92. She wants the city to reconsider a three-lane design with a center turn lane, which she says would better serve existing businesses along the corridor.

Steve Silvestri

"The relationships that we have developed with our community, I really hope you know, will not affect the amount of business that we receive," Partch said.

She also acknowledged the financial reality of delays.

"My hopes are because we've been told by the city that the longer that it takes for this project to go underway, that the more expensive it becomes," Partch said.

Despite the pushback, the city says it has made its decision. Bryan Richison the city's administrator said MoDOT data supports the four-lane design with a median as the safer option. That design eliminates left turns across Highway 92, with drivers instead using roundabouts to turn around.

Steve Silvestri

"Public safety is always paramount," Richison said.

"Ultimately, the city had to make a choice: what was best for all the citizens and for all the people who will travel that road, and we put safety first," Richison said.

Partch says she is not trying to stop the project — she wants the city to find a design that works for everyone.

"I do not want it to stop. I mean I am all for the growth of our area and for expanding our highway so that it is safer," Partch said.

You can read more about the project's progress here.
—