Downtown Cape infrastructure work progressing

The $1.6 million Spanish Street Improvement Project in Cape Girardeau, which launched March 29, should be entirely complete within the first couple of weeks in August, Anna Kangas, the city’s director of development services, said Monday.

Penzel Construction is the general contractor with Fronabarger Concreters, ASA Asphalt, MSI Electric and Mueller Brothers Irrigation as subcontractors.

The planned 15-week downtown endeavor was originally expected to be substantially finished by July 9, to be followed by two weeks of asphalt milling and overlay.

“I think (the project) is moving along pretty well but we’ve had some unforeseen things occur,” said Kangas, who pointed to some unexpected Ameren gas line work that needed to happen while downtown sidewalks were torn up.

“We also had some rain days in May, reminding us that plans can be a bit fluid,” she added.

The project, which includes new sidewalks, curbs and gutters, is fully paid for by the Century Casino-funded Riverfront Development Fund.

The casino has a long-term agreement with the city whereby the municipality receives a certain amount of monthly revenue depending on how many people patronize the casino on North Main Street.

New stamped concrete street crossings have been built at Themis and Spanish streets and also at Independence and Spanish streets.

Also, high-pressure sodium streetlights on Spanish have been switched over to LED (light emitting diode) to match an upgrade made previously on Main Street.

The LED lights will have a lower ongoing operating cost to the city, Kangas reported.

Of note

Work unrelated to the Spanish Street project begins July 6, said Kangas, as construction will begin on North Lorimier Street between Themis and Independence streets, closing the stretch of roadway at least until September.

“The sidewalks are being made ADA (Americans with Disability Act) compliant, plus we’re replacing deteriorating sanitary sewer mains and replacing the street,” she explained.