Ameren is asking permission from the county to widen a sharp curve on Johnson Road that leads to the Big Hollow gas-fired plant south of Festus, allowing heavy-duty trucks to safely access the construction site.
Public Works Director Jason Jonas said in a July 27 memo to County Executive Dennis Gannon that Ameren is actively decommissioning the Rush Island Power Plant site and has recently begun construction of the Big Hollow Energy Center, leading to increased truck traffic on Johnson Road and Big Hollow Road. Both roads are county-maintained.
“The increased truck activity has brought on several traffic safety issues. One of which has been speeding in excess of the posted speed limits,” Jonas said. “Ameren is now concerned about a sharp radius roadway curve along Johnson Road. The curve has a tight 100-foot radius that is properly posted for a 20-mph speed advisory with chevron signage.
“The large trucks and some of the single-axle dump trucks are having a difficult time navigating this roadway curve. The larger trucks have been traveling across the centerline to navigate this turn. It has not helped matters that trucks have also tended to speed along the roadway in general.”
Jonas states Ameren has posted signage urging drivers to slow down and has also used several escort vehicles that travel at or below the posted speed limit during working hours. However, Ameren still has concerns with the tight curve on Johnson Road, which sits about a half-mile east of Hwy. 61, and two miles southwest of the Big Hollow Energy Center.
Ameren proposes to widen Johnson Road and provide shoulders through the curve, allowing heavy-duty trucks more room to avoid collisions. Ameren also plans to add rumble strips and additional signage along the road.
Jonas said the project will be completed at no cost to the county. The Jefferson County Council on July 27 gave preliminary approval for Ameren to improve the road, in a 6-0 vote. Councilman Brian Haskins (District 1, High Ridge) was absent. The council will need to vote two more times to finally approve the bill, likely at the regular Aug. 10 meeting.
“The project will improve the health, safety and welfare of the traveling public,” Jonas said. “The County Council is being requested to authorize the county executive to execute any agreements between Ameren and the county to move forward with this effort, and any future infrastructure improvement needs along county-maintained roadways that provide direct access and support to the Big Hollow Energy Center development during the initial construction phase of operations.”
A public meeting and open house regarding the project is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Jefferson R-7 Performing Arts Center, 7 Blue Jay Way. The meeting is intended to introduce residents to the proposed project and allow the public to make comments, which will be added to the public record.
“I understand that the Ameren master ordinance still needs to be perfected and finally passed; however, time is of the essence with this project,” Jonas told the council in a July 28 email. “If the bill ends up failing to pass on Aug. 10, then we will either cancel or reschedule the public meeting.”
Ameren has commissioned engineering consultant TREKK Design Group LLC in Kansas City, Mo., to design the project. A cost estimate is not yet available, according to county documents, and construction is expected to begin sometime in the fall.
Ameren held an official groundbreaking ceremony on June 1 for Big Hollow, a $900 million electricity-generating plant/power storage facility on the site of the former Rush Island coal-fired plant.
The project was announced last year, and the Missouri Public Service Commission granted the application earlier this year. The new facility will have two distinct parts: an 800-megawatt natural-gas generation facility and a large-scale, lithium-ion battery installation for power storage.
Work has been ongoing at the site since the late 2024 closure of the Rush Island operation. There were shutdown procedures, including the removal of the remaining coal supply; preliminary roadwork; and removal of some of the old plant infrastructure.