This busy intersection at Zora Street and Hall Street/Duquesne Road will be a roundabout sometime this winter. Traffic is still open on Zora and Duquesne, while Hall Street (foreground) is closed.

Construction begins on Zora Street roundabout; Hall Street closed

Bob Foos

Construction began this week as the four-way stop on Zora Street where South Hall Street and Duquesne Road meet is converted to a roundabout.

Initially, only the north side of the intersection (Hall Street) will be closed. Barricades are located south of Enterprise Avenue.

Zora Street and Duquesne Road are still open.

The roundabout is the first phase of a project designed to better accommodate truck traffic from Missouri 249 to the Joplin-Webb City Industrial Park. The second phase will be to widen Zora Street from the roundabout to Missouri 249. Improvement of Zora Street from the roundabout to Range Line Road will be the third phase.

Joplin is in charge of the project that straddles the line between Joplin and Webb City. The Webb City Council approved a cooperation agreement for the project on Aug. 12 and will be contributing $100,000 for each phase.