Councils to adopt like building codes

The city councils in Cape Girardeau and Jackson plan to adopt the same building codes later this year, part of a growing partnership between the cities that also includes plans for development of the new East Main Street/Interstate 55 interchange.

The mayors of both cities said at a joint council meeting Monday night that they, along with the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation and Cape Girardeau County, are close to reaching agreement on the local share of funding for construction of the East Main Street interchange.

Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said an agreement could be announced within the next three to four weeks.

Scott Meyer, Missouri Department of Transportation District engineer in Sikeston, said construction could start by spring 2007 or perhaps even earlier.

"The big thing is getting the right of way bought and the interchange designed," he told the councils. MoDOT will pay 50 percent of the cost with the other half coming from the local entities.

Meyer also reported that MoDOT is scheduled to stripe newly widened William Street east of Interstate 55 this week. The state completed road improvements in the William Street and Farrar Drive area last year.

Cape Girardeau and Jackson building code officials said the two cities are working to adopt the 2003 International Building Codes, which ensure safety while also providing flexibility by allowing alternative methods of construction and building materials.

Officials didn't discuss the new codes in detail at the meeting, which was held at the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau.

Janet Sanders, building and planning superintendent for Jackson, said it's been 10 years since Jackson has updated its building codes. She said the new codes should help encourage more construction in Jackson, moving the city to become a commercial center in its own right.

Urging on projects

The councils also unanimously adopted a resolution urging state highway officials to widen Interstate 55 from Scott City to Fruitland, and improve U.S. 61 from Fruitland to Jackson and Highway 25 from Jackson to Dutchtown.

The joint meeting followed a ceremony at Cape County Park North, where Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson threw a ceremonial switch, officially turning on new street lights on Kingshighway near the I-55 interchange that runs by the park. The $177,000 project -- funded with city transportation sales tax dollars -- involved the installation of 61, 250-watt street lights along a 1.4-mile stretch of North Kingshighway.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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