Fifth lane likely for Mount Auburn in Cape

Business Today

Mount Auburn Road from William Street to Independence likely will be widened to five lanes, Cape Girardeau city engineer Mark Lester said in mid-November after two bids were offered on the project.

The expansion, city leaders say, will improve traffic flow to an expanding, heavily driven commercial area.

Both bids came in under the engineer's estimate of $628,000 for the city's original 4-foot widening plan that would not have included a turn lane. Lappe Cement is the apparent low bidder at $494,000. Nip Kelley issued a bid of $568,000.

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, along with businessman Jim Drury, asked the city to include a turn lane to accommodate the street's busy traffic flow.

At the time of the request, the city said it would go ahead with the turn lane but only if the bids came in under the engineer's estimate.

Lester said he couldn't be 100 percent sure that the turn lane will be added. Some further review of the bids will have to be done.

The extra lane does come with potential unwanted consequences for some businesses in the area.

The plans indicate that the frontage road that parallels William in front of the Drury-owned Burger King will be shut off and limit Mount Auburn access to several businesses, including the Pear Tree Inn, Amoco and The Great Wall restaurant.

Joel Neikirk, director of operations for hotels and restaurants for Mid-America Hotels and Drury restaurants said the costs of closing the frontage road outweighs the benefits of a fifth lane.

If the City Council approves the five-lane plan, customers would likely access those businesses through the back of the Burger King parking lot, Neikirk said.

The Mount Auburn stretch from William to Independence has clusters of businesses. The area is primed for development as Independence Street is being extended to Farrar Drive. Already, 1st Community Bank is being constructed across from the Zimmer Radio Group building, and other businesses will likely follow.

Lester said construction would probably begin sometime in January.

The road project is being funded through the first of two Transportation Trust Funds. The Transportation Trust Fund is a voter-approved, half-cent sales tax that is used to fund major street repairs and construction in the city.