Asphalt overlay underway for seven Cape streets, five public alleys

Since Cape Girardeau voters first approved a half-cent sales tax for roads in 1995, much of the attention has been focused on the new -- a wider Broadway, a nifty Fountain Street extension or the much-hyped LaSalle Avenue.

But city officials say that work taking place over the next two weeks, also being paid for with the Transportation Trust Fund sales tax money, is equally important.

Maybe more so.

After a year without one, the city's asphalt repaving overlay program is underway again this year, with sections of seven city streets and, for the first time, five public alleys slated for new pavement.

"They really are just as important as the others," Mayor Harry Rediger said. "They don't capture the headlines quite as much. But the ongoing overlay program is very important to our city. ... It's really upgraded the quality of our existing streets through the years."

This year's overlay program will cost $235,542, collected as part of TTF-4, the pay-as-you-go program approved again by voters in 2010. ASA Asphalt Co. was awarded the contract, and project manager Nick West said all of the overlay work is expected to be completed by Nov. 4, weather permitting.

Crews starting working on Aquamsi Street on Monday, and they'll also be repaving portions of Walker, Elm, Amethyst and Fountain streets, as well as a part of Scherer Lane. The company already has repaved the Big Bend Road bridge deck over Sloan Creek.

West said he's not sure what order the roads will be completed but added that they will move from one street immediately to the next.

The repaving work will make the rough roads smoother and eliminate potholes, West said. The work entails removing existing surface by milling about two inches off the existing pavement. The new asphalt surface will be added by placing and compacting two inches of hot mix asphalt.

The money will also pay for adjustments to existing utility casings as well as restriping the streets that need it.

"When we're done, these roads will be a whole lot better," West said.

Last year's lack of an overlay program was necessary, Rediger said, because the city's engineering department had several high-profile projects going on, including working with Isle of Capri on its new $125 million casino development.

This year's overlay is even smaller than the one in 2009, when ASA was awarded a $1.1 million project that was funded by TTF-3. So Rediger said 2012 will be a catch-up year, with a larger overlay program than in year's past.

TTF-3, approved by voters in 2005, set aside $2.5 million for asphalt overlay and city officials have said TTF-4 will normally provide about $600,000 a year for asphalt overlay programs.

Overall, the TTF program has provided more than $60 million for all of the projects and is generating $21 million over this five-year extension.

But this year's work includes a first -- the inclusion of five public alleys, a fact that Rediger was pleased about. He said to expect more alleys to be included in overlay programs.

Alleys can be particularly problematic for city road maintenance crews, said Kelly Green, director of development services. Heavy rains tend to wash gravel into the streets, she said. That sends the crews to those alleys to haul in new gravel, sweep rock out of the street and to regrade the alleys. She noted that the plan is not to pave every alley in the city because that's not needed.

Green also agreed that the maintenance aspect of the overlay program is equally as important as providing new roads and making improvements to existing streets.

"Obviously, people don't like potholes, so it's critical for us to have smooth, safe routes for people to drive on and ride their bicycles on," she said. "We're thrilled to have TTF to fund these types of things."

The city determines which streets need repaving based on a ratings system, said Public Works director Tim Gramling. His department evaluates half of the city's streets each year, measuring what they call distresses -- different types of road failures or indicators of future failures.

Examples of distresses include various types of street cracking, breaks and potholes, he said.

Gramling joined the chorus of those touting the overlay program.

"In my opinion," Gramling said, "the overlay program is more important than anything else on TTF. You can spend a lot of money on a nice new road, but if you don't spend any money to maintain them, they won't be nice for long."

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642