Cape council to vote on construction contract for roundabout

The Cape Girardeau City Council will vote today on a construction contract for the building of a roundabout at Independence Street and Gordonville Road.

The council is slated to approve an agreement with Fronabarger Concreters Inc. of Oak Ridge to build the roundabout at a cost of more than $741,000.

The project has been on the city's drawing board for some time.

Deputy city manager Molly Hood said city officials hope the work can be completed before the start of the SEMO District Fair on Sept. 10.

"We would like to get it done," she said.

Numerous visitors to the fair travel through the intersection near the Arena Park fairgrounds during fair week, adding to the concern to get the work finished.

Although the council is expected to approve the contract, work can't begin until the city receives final approval from the Missouri Department of Transportation. The state agency is providing some federal funding for the project, Hood said.

City officials said federal funds will pay about $280,000 of the cost. The rest will come from the city's transportation trust fund.

Construction could start by late June or early July at the latest, Hood said. The work will force the closing of the intersection for several months, forcing motorists to use other roads.

Fronabarger was one of three bidders on the project and submitted the low bid. The second-lowest bid was Lappe Cement Finishing of Perryville, Missouri, which proposed to do the work at a cost of over $915,000.

The intersection of Independence Street and Gordonville Road/East Rodney Drive currently is a four-way stop.

About 12,000 vehicles a day travel on Independence between Gordonville Road and Kingshighway, according to a traffic study.

The intersection experiences traffic congestion at times during the day. Improvements to the intersection will decrease delays, officials said.

City engineer Casey Brunke said earlier this year a roundabout will allow for smoother traffic flow and reduce the severity of accidents.

Plans call for the roundabout to have a diameter of about 135 feet, comparable to a roundabout at Fountain and Morgan Oak streets. City officials have said it likely will have decorative rock in its center, but public art might be added in the future.

The roundabout will be built slightly southeast of the existing intersection. The east side of the Independence Street intersection, which slopes downward, will be raised several feet.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Independence Street and Gordonville Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.