The Missouri Department of Transportation announced Wednesday, Aug. 8, that scheduled improvements to U.S. 65 in Saline County, known as "Clyde's Corner" have begun.

APAC Missouri Inc. began work to prepare the location for improvements to soften the curve, which is located near Route N east of Malta Bend, according to a news release from MoDOT.

The first phase of the project will be to construct nearly 1,050 feet of new roadway, as well as a new intersection for Route N and County Road 421.

Access to County Road 421 will be closed at Route 65 beginning Monday, Aug. 13, and will continue to be closed for the duration of the project.

During the second phase, the old roadway will be reconstructed in two locations to move traffic onto the new roadway. During this phase, Route N will be closed to through traffic until the new intersection has been completed.

This closure is not yet scheduled, according to the news release.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on U.S 65 during various phases of the project. During some periods the highway will be closed to all traffic. The tentative schedule for the closure is from Friday evening, Sept. 14, through Monday morning, Sept. 17, weather permitting.

If weather delays the closure, the work will be attempted the following weekend.

The $840,000 project to soften this sharp curve will be a great safety improvement for motorists, according to MoDOT officials.

Clyde's Corner has a reputation as a dangerous curve and has been the scene of a number of accidents in recent years, including a fatal wreck in December 2005 and another in September 2004.

Motorists should exercise caution in and around the work zone area, and must choose alternate routes during the closures. All improvements should be completed later this fall.

For more information contact the MoDOT District 2 Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK MoDOT (275-6636). The center is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or visit our website at http://www.modot.org/northcentral.