Good Hope stormwater project set back by numerous delays; work may resume next week

The city of Cape Girardeau halted work on stormwater drainage improvements along several blocks of Good Hope Street this summer so city workers could tackle higher-priority projects.

Public-works assistant director Stan Polivick said the Good Hope project has been on hold since mid-July while public works tackled other projects, including a storm-drainage project along the Mississippi River floodwall.

City crews began work on the Good Hope drainage project in April, Polivick said.

“We bought all the pipe but have not gotten it all installed,” he said.

City crews worked on the project for weeks at a time but were hampered by the wet weather, he said.

“The weather was killing us,” he said.

Polivick said city crews were pulled off the project to address other needs.

Gas- and water-line relocations also delayed the stormwater work, he said.

The street had been closed to traffic to accommodate the drainage work but was reopened after the city halted work on the project, Polivick said.

“We are replacing stormwater culverts,” he said of the Good Hope project.

Large, concrete stormwater pipes are being installed and set on “proper grade” to improve drainage flow, he said.

The new pipes will replace smaller pipes, he said.

Concrete pipes and construction equipment are situated along the edge of Good Hope just west of Spring Avenue.

Polivick said work on the project could resume next week and be completed by the end of the month or in October.

City officials budgeted $100,000 for the project, but Polivick said the work likely will cost less.

There is no certain completion date for the project because further delays could happen if city crews are pulled away to tackle other projects, he said.

“We try to stay on schedule,” he added.

“The advantage of doing it ourselves is we save money,” Polivick said. “The disadvantage is we don’t know when we will get it done.”

Mayor Harry Rediger said the delay could not be helped.

He added utility-relocation work often causes delays, pushing back construction schedules.

Rediger expects the Good Hope project will be back on track soon.

“I don’t want to go through winter with it, for sure,” he said.

Polivick said the city took on the drainage project as part of an agreement regarding development of Ruler Foods, a grocery store on William Street that is in the Town Plaza Community Improvement District and backs up to Good Hope.

After completion of this project, the city hopes to extend drainage improvements westward to Walker Branch as part of future stormwater projects that depend on voters extending the parks and stormwater sales tax.

The Good Hope Street area, extending west from Sheridan Drive to Christine Street, has experienced short-term flash flooding for years, Polivick said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Good Hope Street at Spring Avenue, Cape Girardeau, Mo.