Construction projects coming and going in downtown Cape

A variety of construction projects, both recently completed and ongoing, have created minor difficulties for local shoppers and businesses.

Last week, the city of Cape Girardeau began and completed a 60-hour project that replaced 1,000 feet of railroad track and 600 feet of drain pipe along the floodwall.

The city estimated 800 dumptruck loads of material would be removed from the site in addition to new material brought in for the project.

Adding to the orange tape in downtown Cape Girardeau, renovations on the Buckner-Ragsdale building has caused a small section of Broadway between Main Street and Water Street to be narrowed, and the sidewalk on that side of the road has been closed as well.

Such progress has created inconvenience for some downtown shoppers. Visitors to restaurants on Water Street, such as Port Cape Girardeau, had to detour down Spanish Street and Main Street in recent days, according to an employee there.

Other Main Street stores, such as Renaissance, also reported customers commenting on the extra walking needed to reach their destination.

Though the floodwall work is finished, a new project soon will begin that will create more detours. On Aug. 22, Perkins Contracting will begin rebuilding two underground manholes for AT&T on Broadway between Lorimier and Spanish streets. The project is estimated to take three to four weeks. The work had been scheduled for today, but it was delayed by rainy weather.

City engineer Casey Brunke said barricades for the project will be set up at Fountain Street and Broadway and Main Street and Broadway. There also will be barricades at Lorimier and Themis streets.

“Local traffic will still be able to drive through there; we just don’t want people to drive through there to get from Point A to Point B,” Brunke said, “so they will have to go a block around.”

Parking will be affected only in the work zone where equipment will be in use. People who want to visit downtown and avoid the roadwork should consider taking Independence Street, Brunke said.

The purpose of the detour is to minimize the disruption; it should not keep people away from the area. Those with downtown destinations can take the detour or drive around the barricades.

“We want to make sure local traffic can still get in and around,” Brunke said. “We don’t want to hinder the businesses at all.”

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630