CAPE-TO-SCOTT CITY ROAD: MEETING PARTICIPANTS SAY BUILD HIGHWAY

Turnout was light Monday night for a public meeting in Cape Girardeau to get input on a proposal for a new road between Scott City and Cape Girardeau.

Sixteen people turned out to review 15 proposed routes to connect the two cities. People who attended said another route is needed between the two cities.

Missouri Department of Transportation officials expect a bigger turnout at tonight's meeting in Scott City, which will be held from 4 to 7 at City Hall.

DawnRae Clark, project manager, said the state hopes to have a preferred route designated by the end of the year. Construction is scheduled to start in 2003 at the earliest, Clark said.

"Very preliminary" cost estimates for the new road range from $15 million to $22 million, Clark said, depending on which route is ultimately chosen. The various alternates range in length from about three to five and one-half miles.

Four main corridors and 15 potential alternates have been identified for the road, which is aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving driver safety on Interstate 55 between Cape Girardeau and Scott City while providing another direct link between the two cities.

MoDOT engineers have already recommended that one of those corridors, which includes seven alternate routes stretching from Route N in Scott City to near Lone Star Industries on South Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau, be eliminated from further review.

The corridor is too far out of the way and would not draw traffic from the interstate, engineers say.

Clark said the state heard favorable feedback on these other alternates:

-- Alternate 1, which parallels the interstate from the Route K interchange at Scott City to Kingshighway south of Southern Expressway in Cape Girardeau.

The route would have low impact on the environment and community and a medium price tag. It is the best option environmentally but would not address the traffic needs or system linkage concerns, MoDOT officials say.

-- Alternate 2, which would stretch from Route K near but not at the interchange, veer slightly west, parallel the interstate and end on Kingshighway.

The route would aid traffic flow, improve traffic circulation between the two cities and reduce traffic on the interstate. Cost and impact on environmental issues are described as medium, but the route would have a high impact on wetlands.

-- Alternate 3, which would run north from Route K near the interchange to Route AB, then veer west along AB to parallel the interstate and end on Kingshighway.

The route would be low cost and would draw traffic from the interstate with little impact on either city. Its impact on the flood plain is described as high, and its impact on other environmental concerns is called medium.

-- Alternate 4, which would run from Route K near the interchange across Route AB and the Diversion Channel to end at Sprigg Street east of the interstate.

The alternate would improve traffic flow and community circulation and would draw traffic from I-55. Cost is described as medium, with medium-high impact on neighborhoods, socioeconomic issues and residential displacements in South Cape girardeau and on flood-plain areas.

-- Alternate 5, which would run from Route K in Scott City across Route AB, the Diversion Channel and Sprigg Street to veer west to Kingshighway.

The cost of Alternate 5 is high, with medium-to-high impact on environmental issues. The route would improve traffic flow and community circulation and pull traffic off the interstate.

-- Alternate 6, which would run from Route K to AB, then follow AB to turn north and parallel the interstate to Kingshighway.

MoDOT engineers say the alternate would cause "excessive adverse travel" and offer poor improvement to system linkage, with high construction impact. Cost factor would be medium, with high displacement, socioeconomic and neighborhood impact.

-- Alternate 7, which would run from Route K north of Route AB and the Diversion Channel, ending at Sprigg Street east of I-55.

The alternate offers low cost with medium impact on traffic flow, community circulation and traffic draw from the interstate, high impact on the flood plain and high displacement, socioeconomic and neighborhood impacts.

-- Alternate 8, which would run from Route K to Route AB, parallel a stretch of Route AB and then run north across the Diversion Channel and Sprigg Street to end at Kingshighway.

Cost for the alternate is medium. It would improve traffic flow, community circulation and cut traffic on I-55 but would have a high impact on flood plains and a low-to-medium impact on other environmental concerns.

Sgt. J.R. Davis, who heads the traffic division of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said I-55 from the Scott City line through Cape Girardeau has the highest number of accidents of any stretch of road in the city.

Davis said he hasn't studied all the factors, but he thinks the accidents are caused "just because you have so many people. There's a lot of traffic just on that little section."

A 1995 traffic study by MoDOT indicated nearly 40,000 people travel the five-mile stretch of interstate from Scott City to Cape Girardeau daily. Traffic drops off by several thousand vehicles north of Cape Girardeau and south of Scott City.

Kent Bratton, Cape Girardeau city planner, said city officials will have to consider what impact the new route will have on existing traffic in the city.

"I think we're going to have to look a little further down the road on this, so to speak," Bratton said.