Cape expected to approve sidewalk installation today

The Cape Girardeau City Council is expected to approve a contract for new or improved sidewalks at its meeting today, projects targeted mainly in the city’s south side.

The sidewalks, part of the annual Sidewalk Gap Program, will be 5 feet wide.

The initiative is annual, according to City of Cape Girardeau director of development services Alex McElroy. Since 1995, each Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) has included sidewalk repair, according to city spokeswoman Nicolette Brennan.

On Tuesday, three bids were received, and the $275,473.50 bid proposal by Lappe Cement Finishing Inc. was accepted at below the city engineer’s project cost estimate.

McElroy said he expects the council will approve the lowest bid.

ADA accessibility ramps and other necessary adjustments will be installed at:

• Walnut Street between South Sprigg Street and Ranney Avenue
• Linden Street between South Sprigg Street and Ranney Avenue
• South Pacific Street between Elm and Walnut streets
• North Silver Springs Road between Themis and Whitener streets
• South Ellis Street between Hickory and Hackberry streets
• Hackberry Street between South Pacific and South Sprigg streets

A timeline has not been set, McElroy said, but it would follow a “preconstruction meeting” where expectations will be discussed between the city and contractor.

Brennan said city staff will evaluate the condition of the sidewalks, use, approximate costs and other factors to determine the order of areas to complete.

The project will be funded by the Transportation Trust Fund Phase 5.

A portion of the TTF budget has already been set aside for the repair and rejuvenation of existing city streets, alleys and sidewalks according to McElroy.

The project is not directly tied to the city’s complete street policy implemented in 2018, he said, “but it does work toward the goals” of the policy. “The complete street policy really is just a statement trying to embolden multimodal infrastructures,” McElroy said, “and not just a roadway complimented with sidewalks or trails.”

According to Brennan, the city has long-term plans for the construction of the new sidewalks and maintenance of existing ones to provide more convenient and safer routes for pedestrian use. The installation of the 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalks, installation of federal Americans with Disabilities Act-complient accessibility ramps and other improvements made with this project align with the principles of pedestrian safety and user accessibility, she said.

Previous sidewalk construction projects in the program required the removal of mature trees, which upset some residents. Decisions on tree removal are made on a case-by-case basis, and are more common when sidewalks are widened rather than repaired.