Gracemor-Randolph Community Council

Is anyone as frustrated by this as I am?! Recently the Ford Plant has had their workers, as well as, tractor trailers leaving the plant via the outer road that runs out of Gracemor & connects with 69 hwy. They've always used this road sparingly but lately at shift change time (4:30-5:30pm), TONS of traffic has been redirected there. This causes a huge back up for residents trying to leave the neighborhood. Sometimes you have to sit through several green lights before you can leave. To turn right, heading Liberty way, you have to drive on the rutted shoulder to get around the traffic waiting on the lights. Is there any solution to this? At the very least, can the shoulder be turned into a 'turn only' lane to allow a little more traffic through?

Personally speaking, I work two jobs and I have very little time between jobs to get home from one job, change clothes & race to the next job. This hasn't been a problem until recently with the redirected Ford Plant traffic. Please help this frustrating situation!

Hi there, yes I am right there with you on this Ford Plant crap.  I too have a time schedule and no matter how early I leave, it's still frustrating.  It even effects coming home at night.  I have learned to take the back roads off 69 hwy through the neighborhood behind the police station and it brings me out on Randolf Rd then I go up over the 435 overpass to my street.  I can't imagine why there is hundreds of cars on both sides of the plant as well as traffic backed up on 435 from both North and South exit ramps.

When I started asking around, I heard the Ford Plant has hired countless out of state workers for the new trucks.  They are specialized in different fields that apparently Missouri hasn't trained them for.  I wish someone would train them to be better drivers.  Everyday, they run the lights, cut us off and have no idea what a stop sign means.  What we need a police officer to sit by the back road and watch the light.  He would make a killing with all the red light runners.

I agree. I noticed that yesterday as well. I forgot a part of my uniform for my second job that I had to run home and grab during my break at my first job right at that time and it took me just about the entire 30 minutes to get there and back. Which is ridiculous considering I work at the tax office right by the Pleasant Valley QuikTrip! I was very frustrated. This week it has been noticably worse.