Cape officials OK Water Street plan

It might be wise to look both ways before crossing Cape Girardeau's newest one-way street.

Monday night, the Cape Girardeau City Council approved plans to turn Water Street into a one-way street even though council members remain uncertain about which direction -- north or south -- the traffic will flow.

Still, council members said the decision is a start on a project that has been under discussion for months.

"I believe we are acting responsibly," Mayor Jay Knudtson said.

The council, by a 5-0 vote, authorized final engineering work on plans to turn Water Street into a one-way street from Broadway to Independence Street and to construct a wider sidewalk, reading rail and reader boards to explain the historical events depicted on the downtown floodwall mural. The project also includes lighting to illuminate the "Mississippi River Tales" mural that runs parallel to Water Street.

The vote reflected the recommendation of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, which last month gave its blessing to the project but set a deadline of 60 days for making a final recommendation on traffic flow on Water Street and Main Street.

While there are tentative plans to turn Water Street into a one-way southbound street, planning commission chairman Skip Smallwood said it ultimately might have to be turned into a one-way northbound road if Main Street remains one-way southbound from Broadway to William Street.

"Let's get this addressed once and for all," Smallwood told the council at a study session before the regular meeting.

"We were somewhat disappointed there was not a long-range downtown street plan," he said.

Knudtson said the Water Street road improvements, which include on-street parking, will be designed to handle traffic flow either northbound or southbound depending on what city officials finally decide.

The two-way street has to be made one way to accommodate the wider sidewalk and parking needed for visitors to the mural, the mayor said.

After the regular council meeting, city manager Doug Leslie said the council could be in a position to award a construction contract within the next 45 days. Construction should get underway this spring and should be completed by summer, he said.

The city expects to make a final decision on which way to direct traffic before the construction project has been completed, Leslie said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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