BIDS OPENED ON WEST MAIN IN JACKSON

JACKSON -- Bids were opened Monday by the Jackson Board of Aldermen for the second phase of the West Main Street improvement project.

The project includes repaving and widening of West Main from the Hubble Creek Bridge east to High Street, with a 7-inch slab of concrete, 44 feet wide, plus sidewalks, curbs and gutters. The work will not begin until school is dismissed for the year in late May.

The apparent low bid of $192,967.61 on the West Main project was submitted by R&R Concrete of Jackson. The R&R bid was well below that of the city engineer's estimate of $229,500, and below that of the S.I.S. Corporation of Creal Springs, Ill., which was $225,975.90. Five bids were received for the project. All bids were referred to the city engineer for final review. The city engineer will then make a recommendation to the board.

The board approved a final payment of $9,745 to P&R Developers for completion of the first phase of the East Jackson Water Main project. Bids for the second phase of the project will be opened at the board's May 4 meeting.

The aldermen voted to reject all bids submitted on the Litz Park service road project after all of the bids came in above the engineer's estimate. In addition, Acting City Engineer Rich Bowen said the easement alignment for the road was not correct, and the property owner wanted to offer a better easement and location for the road.

The board instructed the city engineer to relocate the service street and complete new plans for paving.

The board also instructed the engineer to prepare plans for a sewer district on Old Cape Road, south of Highway 72.

Larry Payne of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce reminded the board of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department's public meeting on its 15-year highway construction and improvements plan for Southeast Missouri.

The meeting will be held Monday at Marble Hill. The board voted to send representatives to attend the meeting. One of the proposed projects city officials are supporting is an interchange for East Main Street with Interstate 55. Payne also noted that three major highways that converge in the Jackson area will be improved as part of the 15-year program.

City Administrator Carl Talley announced a recycling fair will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the city shed near the power plant at the end of Florence Street. "Citizens can bring anything they want, except for large piles of brush," said Talley. "We will accept motor oil, tires, white goods, such as freezers, stoves and refrigerators."

In other business, the aldermen adopted legislation that establishes the cost for businesses required to test their back-flow prevention devices.

At the request of residents, the board authorized the police department to conduct a traffic study of South Colorado and Knox streets on whether to implement a "less than 30 mph speed limit." Residents along the one-block streets say speeding vehicles are a problem.