CITY CONSIDERS NEW TRUCK ROUTES

Cape Girardeau is taking a new approach to route truck traffic through the city.

The existing truck traffic ordinance specifies streets and roads on which truck traffic is prohibited. A new ordinance before the City Council spells out routes on which truck traffic is allowed and sets up a permit process for truck drivers who need to use other routes to make deliveries or reach construction sites.

"What we've done is gone from designating non-truck routes to designating truck routes," said Mayor Al Spradling III.

Construction, delivery and other commercial trucks can travel the following routes without the risk of citations for driving the wrong roads:

-- Independence from Main Street to Broadview.

-- All state routes.

-- William from Kingshighway to Sprigg.

-- Southern Expressway from Kingshighway to Sprigg.

-- South Sprigg from Independence south.

-- Broadview from Independence to Maria Louisa Lane.

-- Maria Louisa Lane from Broadview to Kingshighway.

-- Main Street from Fourth Street to Mason.

-- Giboney from Elm to South Sprigg.

Many of the shorter routes were designated because businesses that require frequent truck traffic are situated along them, said Kent Bratton, city planner. Those businesses include a concrete business on Maria Louise and several businesses on Giboney, including a salvage yard.

The City Council approved the new ordinance and truck schedule on first reading Monday night. More routes may be added when the ordinance comes up for final reading May 18.

The new ordinance applies to motor vehicles or commercial motorized equipment weighing more than 24,000 pounds.

Delivery trucks can drive on non-truck routes, but the new ordinance spells out that drivers must use the most direct route to their destination, using the nearest intersection to a designated truck route.

Spradling said the city has designated the new truck routes to try to help drivers get around the city.

"We've had some problems with and complaints from contractors who've been moving their dump trucks and excavation equipment up and down Lexington primarily because they're not supposed to have their trucks there," he said.

So much new construction is going on along Lexington and in the immediate area that truck traffic in the neighborhood, especially construction equipment, is increasing, say city officials.

But Perryville Road is closed for reconstruction, and drivers often wind up having to use Lexington, Spradling said. "And the drivers have received tickets," he said.

Cpl. David Sanders of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said police have received "some calls in recent months" from residents complaining about truck traffic on Lexington.

Lexington Avenue is designated a non-truck route under the existing ordinance. It is not designated as allowing truck traffic under the new ordinance, but contractors, delivery companies and other businesses will be able to get permits to allow drivers to use Lexington and other non-truck routes as needed.

The permits will be issued through the city engineer's office. No fee has been set for the permits.

Contractors will be able to get the truck permits when they apply for their building permits. "That will be very simple," Spradling said.