City construction projects approach deadlines

As the end of 2014 approaches, so do the anticipated completion dates for construction projects around Cape Girardeau.

Crews have been working around the city on road and stormwater projects, all of which are expected to be completed in December.

There's been an emphasis on street repair this year. Many roads were hit with round after round of snow and ice storms last winter, leaving notable damage. Coupled with older roads showing the expected wear and tear, the city has been attending to no shortage of repair work.

Public works crews and contractors were tasked with updating more than 190 sections of Cape Girardeau's roads. City crews so far have completed asphalt overlays to nearly 20 streets and replaced concrete sections along roughly a dozen roads.

Contractors have completed work on 50 sections of streets, equaling about 28,000 square feet of replaced pavement, according to city reports. They are about halfway through the list of nearly 100 locations citywide in need of concrete repair. Cost for the work, which began in July, is estimated at $450,000.

These projects are funded through the Transportation Trust Fund program and city operating budget resources.

Contractors also have spent the past year working on the Broadway Stormwater Relief project. It's been plagued by inclement weather, which left crews unable to work in wet and icy conditions early in the year.

The project features three fingers of tunnels running about 20 feet under the surface of the stretch from the Broadway intersections of Ellis, Frederick and Middle streets to the Merriwether storm tunnel. City engineer Casey Brunke said crews are wrapping up work on Ellis, but still have 225 feet of pipe to install along Fountain, between Independence Street and Broadway.

The Fountain Street section, which runs in front of and in the area behind city hall, has encountered a few subgrade issues, Brunke said. When crews were working in the area just in front of city hall on Independence, she said the dirt would cave in behind them after crews moved the trench box -- a structure with metal walls designed to prevent the trench from caving in. It would even come into the area of the trench that was supposed to be protected by the trenchbox.

Now that crews have moved just north of Independence Street, they've encountered a new problem. The trenches are no longer caving in, said Brunke, but are "saturated." She compared the bottom of the trench to quicksand and said contractor and city crews have brought up buckets of the unstable soil for examination.

"If you just stick your hand in the bucket, it's like a soupy mix," Brunke said. "If you put a glob of it in your hand and you hold it for a few minutes, it will kind of solidify. But if you just shake your hand back and forth, it becomes liquid again and just seeps through your fingers. It's weird."

The city is working with the contractor on the issue, and Brunke said they hope to have the rest of the pipe installed in early December.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.