Cape Girardeau City Council hears proposed TTF5 list

It was a discussion of needs versus wants when the Cape Girardeau City Council heard a presentation regarding the project list proposed for the fifth installment of the Transportation Trust Fund sales tax.

The half-cent, pay-as-you-go tax has been approved by voters every five years since 1995. The measure is up for renewal again this year.

The list was presented to the council Monday night by a subcommittee tasked with prioritizing projects to take to voters for consideration before a final list is prepared. The committee's proposal included eight specific recommended projects, along with four alternate projects and unspecified general projects. Whereas past TTFs have focused on new infrastructure, the latest projects "shift the focus from expansion to preservation and maintenance of the system," assistant city manager and director of development services Molly Hood explained.

Councilwoman Loretta Schneider called the new focus a "response to the people of Cape Girardeau" who are "demanding" such infrastructure needs be addressed. Councilman Wayne Bowen also said that while new infrastructure can be a great thing for a city, "a lot of neighborhoods in our city don't have the roads they should have."

The total cost for the recommended project list is $14.5 million. The general projects have a $6 million price tag, while another $2 million is set aside for safety improvements and contingencies. The total for the alternate projects list was $6.6 million.

Conservative estimates expect the fifth TTF to bring in a total of $22.5 million over its five-year life span.

Each project came from suggestions offered by the council, members of the public and business and transportation officials. They also were pulled from lists of projects that were considered but ultimately not selected for past TTFs. Projects were prioritized using specific criteria, including the condition of the infrastructure, safety, congestion relief, economic development and connectivity to major transportation corridors and employment destinations.

While the project list was not presented in a particular order of importance, committee chairman Scott McClanahan said some projects would have a greater effect or would address a greater need than others. Two of the most discussed projects on the list included work on sections of Independence Street and Lexington Avenue.

The Independence Street project specifically focuses on Gordonville Road/East Rodney Drive to Caruthers Avenue and calls for street widening and widening the bridge over Cape La Croix Creek. The project also addresses sidewalks in the area and alleviating the "pinch point" on Cape La Croix Trail at the bridge.

"This intersection has a huge amount of traffic and the most congestion of about any public street we have right now," McClanahan said.

That intersection also received some attention during TTF 4. A traffic study is being conducted at the intersection to determine whether a stoplight or roundabout could help manage the heavy traffic. McClanahan said the committee kept that in mind when making the proposal, which has an estimated cost of about $4 million, making it the most expensive project on the list.

The Lexington Avenue project addresses issues between Sherwood Drive and West Cape Rock Drive. The proposal would reconstruct 36 feet of concrete -- two travel lanes and one parking lane -- and address sidewalks and curb and gutter needs. The estimated cost for the project is $1.6 million.

McClanahan called the area "a nice obstacle course" in the summer time, referring to recent repairs or replacements of concrete panels that would force crews to temporarily close down one-lane sections of the road. But it was that same work that has been invested into the road that made Mayor Harry Rediger question the project.

"I think we should be diligent we aren't tearing up good streets," he said. "Panel by panel [repairs have] been done on parts of Lexington. ... I'm hesitant to tear out work that's been done right."

He also questioned whether the Independence Street project would interfere with recent work done along that street, a move he also did not believe would not be well received by the public. Committee member and former councilman John Voss said the committee's intent was "not to remove what's there, but to complete what was not done" to address issues of safety and congestion in those areas.

Other projects on the recommended list address sections of West End Boulevard, Sprigg Street, Main Street and New Madrid Street.

Public meetings to further review and discuss the projects will be held in February and March. In April the council will have its first reading of an ordinance calling the election for the TTF tax. The question will appear on the Aug. 4 ballot.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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TTF 5 Committee recommended project list

• Independence Street: Gordonville Road/East Rodney Drive to Caruthers Avenue ($4 million)
• Lexington Avenue: Sherwood Drive to West Cape Rock Drive ($1.6 million)
• West End Boulevard: New Madrid Street to Bertling Street ($2.5 million)
• Sprigg Street: William Street to Broadway ($1.7 million)
• Sloan Creek Bridge: Big Bend Road ($1 million)
• Main Street: Roberts Street to East Cape Rock Drive ($1.4 million)
• Fountain Street: William Street to Independence Street ($1 million)
• New Madrid Street: Clark Avenue to Perry Avenue ($1.3 million)

Alternate project list

• Bertling Street: Perryville Road to West End Boulevard ($1.3 million)
• Bertling Street: West End Boulevard to Sprigg Street ($2.5 million)
• Hopper Road: Mount Auburn Road to Kingshighway ($900,000)
• Emerald Street: Sprigg Street to Big Bend Road ($1.9 million)