CITY TO PURSUE RIVERFRONT TRAIL

Cape Girardeau wants to blaze a new trail along the Mississippi River.

The city plans to seek federal funding to construct a 6,100-foot-long hiking and biking trail from Sloan Creek southward to the River Campus on the river side of the floodwall. The project also would expand Riverfront Park and the old landing area south of the park. A pedestrian bridge would be built over Sloan Creek.

Riverboat tie-off structures would be built near the Broadway floodgate to allow riverboats to dock when the river is high, said City Planner Kent Bratton.

Councilman Tom Neumeyer has been a strong proponent of the project. "It will help open up the river again to our residents in the city and all the visitors," he said.

Cape Girardeau's concrete floodwall has protected the downtown, but it also has cut off the city from the river, he said. The trail, said Neumeyer, would put people back in touch with the river.

Neumeyer hopes an interpretive center can be built to educate visitors about the history and culture of the area. A small center could be built along the riverfront on the west side of the floodwall, the councilman said.

A pedestrian overpass across the railroad tracks may be needed on the south end of the riverfront trail, Neumeyer said.

City officials said the entire project could cost more than $1.5 million. The city hopes to obtain federal funding through the Missouri Department of Transportation to pay 80 percent of the cost.

To that end, city officials hope to apply for a grant later this year to finance the first phase of the project.

Neumeyer said federal dollars are available through MoDOT to fund hiking and biking trails and other non-traditional transportation projects.

The first phase calls for construction of the trail from Riverfront Park southward about 400 feet to the old landing area and docking improvements near the Broadway floodgate. It also may include renovation of the old landing or pier area, officials said.

City Manager Michael Miller said plans call for construction of a 10-foot-wide trail. Neumeyer said he would prefer a trail of 12 to 14 feet in width.

Neumeyer said the trail would be paved and built right along the floodwall so it could be used even during times of high water. The trail, he said, would be handicapped accessible.

The councilman said the project makes sense in a city where the top tourist attraction is the Mississippi River. It also capitalizes on the growing popularity of hiking and biking trails, he said.

Linking the trail to Southeast Missouri State University's planned River Campus would allow bicyclists and hikers to travel along the new bridge route to Shawnee Park. Bicyclists and hikers could then travel northward on the Cape LaCroix-Walker Branch trail, Neumeyer said.

The ultimate goal is to have a trail that loops around the city, he said.

The riverfront trail project would be done in several phases. Neumeyer said he hopes the project can be completed in four to five years.

"Tourism is the second largest industry in the state and growing," he said. "We need to capitalize on it."