St. Louis Avenue Closes at Route 66 for Six Weeks
Contractor crews will close the St. Louis Avenue intersection with Missouri Route 66 (7th Street) in Joplin starting November 18.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Contractor crews will close St. Louis Avenue at Missouri Route 66 (7th Street) in Joplin beginning Wednesday, November 18, for approximately six weeks. Drivers can pass through the intersection but cannot access St. Louis Avenue during the closure, and no signed detour will be posted.
Why it matters
The closure is part of a larger effort to improve the Route 66 (7th Street) corridor in Joplin, and it will affect drivers and businesses on St. Louis Avenue. Access to those businesses will be maintained during business hours.
The project carries a construction cost of $61.6 million, and the contract completion date is set for December 1, 2028. The St. Louis Avenue closure is expected to last about six weeks, though weather and scheduling conflicts could change that timeline.
The players
MoDOT (Missouri Department of Transportation)
The Missouri Department of Transportation oversees state highways, including the Route 66 corridor, and provides traveler alerts for the southwest region.
The details
Crews will install new storm sewer, sidewalk crossings, and a concrete approach at the intersection. Florida Avenue will open to traffic before the St. Louis Avenue closure begins, and signs and message boards will warn drivers approaching the work zone.
Timeline
Wednesday, November 18, 2026: St. Louis Avenue closure at Route 66 begins.
About six weeks later: closure expected to end, pending work at Florida Avenue.
December 1, 2028: project contract completion date.
Openings & Closings Context
This closure is one stage of the Missouri Department of Transportation's Route 66 (7th Street) corridor improvement in Joplin, which runs between Schifferdecker Avenue and Range Line Road. The St. Louis Avenue work moves that multi-year project forward at a single intersection.
Drivers should expect St. Louis Avenue to be inaccessible from Route 66 for about six weeks, and no signed detour will be posted. Businesses on St. Louis Avenue remain reachable during business hours, so plan routes around the intersection.
The takeaway
Plan alternate routes for about six weeks starting November 18, since drivers cannot enter St. Louis Avenue from Route 66 during the closure. Allow extra time on nearby routes while the construction proceeds.
What happens next
The St. Louis Avenue closure is scheduled to end about six weeks after November 18, 2026, pending completion of work at Florida Avenue.
Further reading
For more local road work, see Openings & Closings in Joplin.
More information
Check MoDOT southwest region information and traveler alerts for current traveler updates.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newstalk KZRG.
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