Jackson to apply for state grant for LED street lights

The city of Jackson will submit a proposal to the Missouri Department of Transportation this month that would allow for the construction of new lights along East Jackson Boulevard between Interstate 55 and the area just before K Land Drive.

MoDOT's Missouri Moves Cost Share Program -- not the same as the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission cost-share program that is helping fund the Jackson roundabout -- has $20 million for cost-sharing programs in communities around the state.

Jackson public works director Rodney Bollinger said of the projects city staff identified as priorities, lighting the East Jackson Boulevard corridor is by far the most likely to be selected. The plan happens to fall on the right side of several metrics by which proposals will be judged.

First, projects are sorted into one of three categories: safety, preservation and system expansion. Lighting installation constitutes the first criteria.

And because East Jackson Boulevard is a state-maintained roadway, the state is expected to assign it a higher priority.

In terms of funding, Bollinger said via email the total cost of the proposed project is about $750,000, of which the city would pay half. The state's selection process assigns higher priority to projects whose matching dollars are local -- rather than federal -- as Jackson's would be.

Finally, the project would be relatively straightforward, Bollinger said. When the state considers the project's status, it is expected to be deemed "shovel-ready," meaning the project already has been designed. The city would be able to solicit contractors' bids immediately, which would reduce lag time and hassle.

If the city's project is selected, it would include 134 units of 40-foot poles with lights, said Jackson director of electric utilities Don Schuette.

The lights would be LED lights with a 400-watt equivalency, similar to those in newer Jackson subdivisions that have proved to greatly outpace their metal halide counterparts in longevity and efficiency.

"With regular lights, every two or three years you would have to rebulb," he said. "[LED lights] have a considerable amount of energy savings, plus very low maintenance. There's a 20-year lifespan expected on those units."

The poles would be black, maintaining a consistent aesthetic with lighting in other parts of the city.

Schuette said the project likely would take several months because of the amount of boring involved.

Proposals are to be submitted to MoDOT before Aug. 1.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627