CHAMBER APPROVES PRIORITY LIST OF NEEDS FOR ROADWORK

When the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce directors approved the list of 10 transportation priorities for unfunded capital street improvements Tuesday, the listings weren't in any particular order.

But, Chamber President John Mehner talked of two priority items concerning street projects that are already funded here.

"We want it understood that we want to see the completion of Lexington and the extension of the North Sprigg Street connection to Lexington," he said. "This has nothing to do with the `Top 10' approved Tuesday."

The Top 10 list includes proposed roadwork along sections of Bloomfield, Perryville Hopper and Mount Auburn roads, New Madrid and Rodney streets, West End Boulevard, Southern Expressway and Lexington Avenue.

Al Stoverink headed a Surface Transportation subcommittee that compiled the list.

The board solidly supported the priority list. "It was approved by a unanimous vote," Board Chairman Jim Rust said.

Mehner said the city was seeking recommendations from the Surface Transportation Committee and the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, along with information being compiled by Vision 2000 from a series of public meetings.

Information from these groups could lead to a recommendation to place a transportation tax measure on the ballot.

The council has discussed placing a half-cent sales tax on the ballot to generate funds for transportation projects.

Thirty-one transportation projects are on the unfunded needs list, and 23 others are planned for fiscal years 1998 through 2000. Most of the projects are included in the city's five-year capital improvements plan or the unfunded needs list.

Cape Girardeau voters twice have defeated transportation tax measures, once in 1986 and again in 1987.

The priority list:

Ward 4: Perryville Road to city limits.

Ward 6: Hopper Road-Mount Auburn Road to Interstate 55.

Wards 5-6: Bloomfield Road-Spring to Seimers widening.

Wards 2-2: Reconstruction of older streets.

Ward 6: Mount Auburn Road improvements.

Ward 6: Seimers Road-Bloomfield to Highway 74.

Wards 1-4: New Madrid-Perry to Henderson.

Ward 5: Rodney Street bridge.

Ward 6: Southern Expressway extension.

Wards 1-2-3-4: West End Boulevard-Lexington to Southern Expressway.