VALLEY PARK, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A road closure meant to address erosion on a dangerous stretch of Hillsboro Road has become a months-long ordeal for residents, forcing them onto detours that have already led to at least one serious crash.

The $4.1 million project was supposed to start in March and finish by Nov. 30, but residents say they didn’t see crews working until May. The road remains far from complete, with massive pieces still missing.

Rita Younger said the closure has turned her seven-minute commute to highways 44 and 141 into a lengthy detour through Jefferson County to Highway 30.

“It’s a daily issue,” Younger said. “Now I have to go the back way through Jefferson County to Highway 30 — which is a very, very dangerous street.”

Safety concerns turn into reality

The safety

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