'I just don't see any work': Parkville resident pushes for road repairs on Bell Road and Highway 45

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

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A Parkville woman says she has watched the roads in her neighborhood deteriorate for years — and she wants to know when something will be done about it.

Darlene Meyer says she has seen problem areas on Bell Road and along Highway 45 get patched, only for the same issues to return.

Marlon Martinez

"They're so bad, and they've been that way for a couple of years now. And they'll put a little patch in it, and within a month it's out," Meyer said.

Marlon Martinez

Meyer pointed to rough and uneven pavement on both roads, both showing the fixes have not held up.

Steve Silvestri

Marlon Martinez

"I'm hoping speaking with you will kind of get some action going because it's almost fall, and they're wasting a lot of beautiful weather to get these streets fixed," Meyer said.

The situation involves two separate agencies. The City of Parkville says Highway 45 is a state route, making the Missouri Department of Transportation — not the city — responsible for maintaining it. MoDOT says its crews were already developing a plan for pavement repairs this fall.

Bell Road falls under the city's jurisdiction. Parkville says Bell Road is in the middle of a major road and sidewalk project, and once that work and other underground improvements are finished, the entire road will be repaved.

Meyer also raised concerns about the lack of sidewalks along Bell Road.

Marlon Martinez

"Some people, there's apartments right up the hill, they come down to go to the grocery store, and they've got to walk in the street. There's no sidewalks," Meyer said.

The sidewalk component is included in the Bell Road project.

"Parkville is really growing huge, but they need to take care of what they've got," Meyer said.

Both the City of Parkville and MoDOT have online tools where residents can report road concerns.
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