Construction begins to replace sidewalks on Jackson street

Walking on East Jackson Boulevard in Jackson is about to get a bit safer.

The Missouri Department of Transportation began construction March 6 on a three-mile project replacing sidewalks, beginning near the intersection of westbound East Jackson Boulevard and Old Cape Road, said Brian Holt, resident engineer at the MoDOT Jackson office.

Holt said the easternmost edge of the project is at East Jackson Boulevard and Old Cape Road, and the western edge will be at U.S. 61 and highways 34, 25 and 72, totaling about three miles.

The contractor for the project is R.L. Persons, a road-construction firm based in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Anticipated completion date is Sept. 1, barring unforeseen issues, Holt said.

R.L. Persons representative Chris Powell said the project eventually will include sidewalks on both sides of East Jackson Boulevard, but the work will be finished in sections beginning with the area marked by traffic cones between Old Cape Road and Gloria Street.

A pedestrian crosswalk will be part of the project, Holt said.

“It will be on the north side of the signalized intersection of 61, 72, 25 and 34,” he wrote in an email.

The crosswalk will allow pedestrians to cross between the existing fire and police department and the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway.

Holt said the project, like any other, will require more attention from pedestrians and drivers.

“Ask everyone to watch out,” he said. “There will be daily lane closures as crews are working along the shoulder. Always use caution in work zones.”

Shelley Bell, office manager of Bell Family Eye Care at 2954 E. Jackson Blvd., said the work began last week, and she hasn’t seen much effect so far.

“I don’t really anticipate any issues, though,” she said. “There hasn’t been any noise or dust, really.”

Bell said she sees people walking on Jackson Boulevard, but she said many walk in the grass rather than on existing sidewalks.

“This might make it better for them,” she said of the project.

“I know it will probably be safer for us to get the mail now,” she said, pointing out a small asphalt pad surrounding the office’s mailbox at the curb.

The posted speed limit is 40 miles per hour, and traffic can be heavy, Bell said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

East Jackson Boulevard and Old Cape Road, Jackson, Mo.

Highways 61, 34, 25 and 72, Jackson, Mo.

2954 E. Jackson Boulevard, Jackson, Mo.