Cape, Southeast look to widen Broadway

Broadway cuts a wide path from Kingshighway to Perry Avenue. But eastward it narrows to a two-lane street jammed with cars and pickup trucks carrying students, staff and visitors to and from the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

City officials hope to ease traffic congestion with a wider street, but business owners worry that the construction work itself will be a major road block for customers.

The city plans to widen Broadway from Perry Avenue to Houck Place -- a short street that runs in front of Houck Stadium -- at an estimated cost of $2 million. Transportation sales tax money will be used to pay for it.

The project, scheduled for construction in the 2005-2006 fiscal year, could be the last stretch of Broadway that will be widened from two lanes to four lanes, city officials said.

City planner Kent Bratton said there currently are no plans to widen Broadway east of Houck Place where businesses closely border both sides of the street. Bratton said traffic thins out east of the university campus, reducing the need for a wider roadway to the downtown.

Since 1990, the city has widened Broadway from Kingshighway to Perry Avenue at a cost of more than $2.2 million.

'More natural entrance'

The latest project would widen Broadway from 36 feet to 44 feet. It would include curb, gutter and storm drainage improvements. It also could involve installation of traffic signals at the Henderson Avenue intersection.

University officials want the city to consider erecting traffic signals at the Broadway-Henderson intersection for safety reasons and to improve the flow of traffic entering and exiting the campus.

"That would just make a much more natural entrance to the campus," said Al Stoverink, the school's facilities management director.

Bratton said an engineering study, which is just starting, will look at the feasibility of traffic signals as part of the project.

Southeast wants to pave its gravel parking lot bordering Broadway near Houck Field House and erect a monument-style sign that would have the school's name on it. The name might be displayed in a brick or stone wall similar to what has been done at Southeast Missouri Hospital a few blocks away, Stoverink said.

The university wants to do its construction work next summer. But first it must find out how much of its land will be lost to the Broadway widening project.

"We've got to know where the right-of-way line is going to be before we can design the parking plan," said Stoverink. The university also wants to know where traffic signal poles might be placed because it doesn't want its university sign to be blocked from motorists' view, he said.

To that end, the university has hired Koehler Engineering and Land Surveying to do the planning work for the Broadway widening at a cost of $109,720. The city will reimburse the university by June 30, 2006, according to terms of the contract.

Much of the widening is expected to occur on the north side of Broadway, along the edge of the city's Capaha Park and on university property bordering Houck Field House and Houck Stadium.

But about a dozen businesses could find themselves stuck in the middle of the construction project, most of them on the south side of Broadway where only a sidewalk separates retail stores, restaurants and a bar from the street.

Business owners know that could mean detours, making it harder for customers to navigate.

"I am sure it will slow business down," said Fred Mabuce, owner of Varsity Barber Shop for the past four years. The barber shop has operated at 1125 Broadway across from Houck Field House since 1962.

'Something to talk about'

Still, Mabuce said, this stretch of Broadway is too narrow and needs to be widened. Whatever the merits, Mabuce said the project will get the attention of his customers.

"It will give us something to talk about," he said.

Mike Schmidt, who owns The Playdium bar at 1127 Broadway, doesn't want the city to widen Broadway east of Henderson Avenue.

He said there's no need to widen Broadway in front of his bar. Traffic jams only occur at certain hours -- during the morning rush hour, late afternoon when university classes get out and the 5 p.m. rush hour, he said.

Wayne Turley operates Courtesy Cleaners at 1107 Broadway across from the Houck Place intersection. His biggest concern is that the project will result in four lanes of traffic narrowing into two lanes near his business.

Chuck Ross, who owns Rhea Optical Co. at 1105 Broadway, said the construction work will frustrate motorists.

But Ross said Broadway in front of his business, just east of the Houck Place intersection, probably will remain a two-lane street. That's because it would be too costly to buy up businesses to widen the street, he said.

"You would have to tear half the buildings down if you went on down Broadway," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123