New bus entrances under construction

Road project to make Cassville students safer A new bus entrance is being constructed off of Partridge Drive to the south of the Cassville High School. The new entrance, which is being constructed to connect Partridge with the high school circle drive, is a portion of a road construction project that the Cassville R-IV School Board approved in December of 2007. Democrat Photo

The Cassville School Board approved the road construction project in December of 2007. The board accepted bids totalling $332,688 from Hutchens Construction, of Cassville, for the project.

Over the last few weeks, excavation crews have started work for a new bus entrance that will connect the Cassville High School circle driveway to Partridge Drive. On Friday, crews began placing the gravel base for the new entrance.

"The new bus entrance is part of the road project that will connect the Cassville High School campus to 14th Street to allow buses to access the high school without getting onto Highway Y or Main Street," said Superintendent Jim Orrell. "This project is part of the safety measures that have been implemented to decrease the amount of contact students have with the traffic on Y Highway."

The road that is being constructed to connect Partridge Drive to 14th Street will run along the edge of the practice football field on the east side of the football stadium and primary school playground.

Although the project is progressing smoothly, it will not be completed until an agreement is reached between the City of Cassville and the owner of the Flat Creek Trailer Park. Some trailers at the park may need to be moved to complete the new road.

"With not as many buses on Y Highway and Main Street, there shouldn't be as much contact with traffic or pedestrians using those streets," said Orrell.

The R-IV School Board began developing plans for the road and bus entrances after a Cassville High School freshman was struck and killed by a car on Highway Y in September of 2007.