LET THE FLOOD PROJECT BEGIN; GROUNDBREAKING SCHEDULED FOR LONG-AWAITED CREEK WORK

The city of Cape Girardeau next week will embark upon construction of a $35 million flood-control project that's expected to reduce by 70 percent damages from a 100-year flood.

A ground-breaking ceremony for the Cape LaCroix Creek-Walker Branch flood-control project will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Commercial Street, parallel to Kingshighway, and Bloomfield Road.

The ceremony marks the start of a three-phase project that includes the first phase on Cape LaCroix Creek, construction of a detention basin north of the city, and flood-control work along Walker Branch.

Ken Eftink, city planning services coordinator, said the city looks forward to the start of construction. "Everybody's excited about the project; to see the construction actually get started," Eftink said.

The Army Corps of Engineers on Sept. 13 awarded the construction contract for the first phase of the project to Dumey Excavating of Oran and Brenda Kay Construction of Cape Girardeau.

The start of construction next week culminates almost a 2-decades-old effort aimed at coming up with a plan to end flooding on the city's west side. The project was first discussed in the early 1970s.

Construction also comes about five and one-half years after a devastating flood in Cape Girardeau generated grass-roots flood mitigation efforts. A May 1986 flood caused an estimated $56 million in property damage and was the impetus that led voters in 1988 to approve a 10-year, quarter-cent sales tax. The tax revenue will fund the city's share of costs for the flood-control project.

"Some of the figures the corps came up with are that this project will reduce the effects of a flood like the one in 1986 by 70 percent or more," he said. "That was actually greater than a 100-year flood."

Such a flood is severe enough that it normally occurs only once every 100 years. The project will have benefits other than flood damage mitigation, Eftink said.

"A lot of property owners should see their flood insurance rates go down," he said. "Some of the other side benefits are the new, wider bridges we'll be building as part of the project on Bloomfield Road and up along Walker Branch."

The flood-control project will be funded jointly by the city and the Corps.

Congress in August gave final approval to the 1991 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which included $10.3 million for the Cape Girardeau flood-control work.

Eftink said that this year's appropriation for initial construction is important for the project.

"There's a possibility funding might not be there in the future, but usually, once Congress starts a project, they'll follow through with it," he said.

Included in the first segment of the project is replacement of the Bloomfield Road bridge, which will be coordinated with construction of an underpass for a hiking and bicycling trail that's included in the Cape LaCroix Creek portion of the project.

The entire flood-control project, which could be completed by 1994, includes three miles of channel modifications on Cape LaCroix Creek and Walker Branch, construction of a 157-acre water-detention basin north of Cape Girardeau, and construction of a four-mile hiking and bicycling trail.

The project also will involve replacement of eight bridges along Kingshighway. Bridges at Bloomfield Road, Route K and Independence will include concrete underpasses for the fitness trail.

Dumey's bid of $7.2 million for the first phase of the project was well below the Corps' estimate of $10 million to $12 million and could save the city more than $500,000.

City officials have said the lower construction costs will allow the city to recoup some of the additional money it had to spend for land acquisition along Cape LaCroix Creek.

The city now is negotiating with property owners along Walker Branch to purchase property for that segment of the project.

"We're getting a good start on land acquisition along Walker Branch," Eftink said. "We're out there making offers now, and we've acquired a few properties."