Discussions Begin On North Outer Road In Cuba

Preliminary discussions have begun on a north outer road in Cuba that would connect Highway P to the Highway UU exit.

There is currently no road connecting north of Interstate 44 and motorists must use Old Highway 66.

Crawford County commissioners were questioned Sept. 27 about a meeting that was held the previous day with property owners and the Missouri Department of Transportation.

County resident Mark Pfeiffer said that he owns property on that side of the interstate and was never contacted.

District 2 Commissioner Jared Boast said it was not a meeting organized by the county and the county is not in charge.

The meeting was hosted by Brad and Renee Ross, who own a business on Highway P that would be affected.

Pfeiffer questioned if property owners will be invited to future meetings. Commissioners could not say definitively, but encouraged him to reach out to the Ross family.

“I thought Brad had invited people,” said Presiding Commissioner Leo Sanders.

Pfeiffer said he is in favor of an outer road, but wanted to be included in those meetings.

“We’re not in charge of inviting people,” Boast said, cautioning that the entire project remains in the earliest of stages.

“This was a planning meeting to see if this is possible,” he said. Environmental and feasibility studies must be performed, which would take years to complete. An engineering report would have to show if it’s even possible.

Boast said MoDOT had interest in an outer road more than a decade ago and with increased funding, the project could be closer to reality.

He also said Gov. Mike Parson has a pool of money to draw from that could go to road projects.

“That’s where this came from,” he said.