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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- A former Adair County Comissioner candidate is taking on MoDOT.

Steve Salt has started a petition drive asking the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to put the brakes on Kirksville's proposed Alternate Route 63 project, at least until it can be reviewed.

He wants to see the project redesigned because he says the way it is now, it's a dangerous highway.

Salt calls it dangerous mainly because it calls for two, grade-level, stop sign intersections where Alternate Route 63 would  cross Highway 6 East and and Highway 11 East.

Salt acknowledges his efforts may have come too late.

"I feel kind of like an ant trying to fight a bulldozer, but even ants have rights, and bulldozers don't always get their way. So, I drew up a petition, and it's kind of on the late hour, but I thought I'd give it a try," said Salt.

The commissioners received between 30 and 40 signed petitions from Adair County residents. Salt also claims that Alternate Route 63 would not significantly reduce traffic on Baltimore Street, and he argues it would have almost no effect on peak-hour congestion.

"All the local traffic is what makes the congestion before and after (school and work), so we'll get minimal benefits for a dangerous highway, which will strangle Kirksville economically, " said Salt.

A MoDOT spokesman told KTVO Thursday that engineers are anticipating that traffic would be split nearly 50-50 between Baltimore Street and the new Alternate Route 63.

"People in Kirksville have waited 35 years now for the bypass, and I'm fearful that a lot of people, well some people at least, are so excited to get a bypass, they're willing to accept anything. But, like I said, I'd rather have no highway than a bad highway," said Salt.

The Highways and Transportation Commission will consider the Alternate Route 63 project Friday morning at its meeting in Kansas City.

Commissioners are expected to either approve the project or send it back for further review. KTVO will keep you posted.