Planning continues for Main Street project

Preliminary planning is well along on a project to improve a section of Main Street in Cape Girardeau’s Red Star neighborhood, assistant city engineer David Whitaker said Monday.

Design work began several months ago and is proceeding, he said.

The project, which city officials have estimated could cost more than $1 million, involves reconstruction of Main Street, as well as adding curb and gutters, sidewalks and streetlights from Roberts Street to East Cape Rock Drive, city officials said.

The city has not purchased right of way for the project and final design work remains to be done, Whitaker said.

He estimated it would likely be next year before construction could commence on the project.

The Main Street project is one of the street projects slated to be funded with Transportation Trust Fund 5 sales tax money. Voters in 2015, extended the sales tax for another five years to pay for various transportation projects, including street reconstruction projects.

Major improvements also are coming to a section of Cape Girardeau’s West End Boulevard, which, like the Main Street project, has been on the drawing board for nearly five years.

The estimated $2.5 million project involves street reconstruction on West End Boulevard from Rose to Bertling streets. It also includes curb and gutter, sidewalks and storm sewer and streetlight improvements, according to city officials.

City officials have said they hope to award a construction contract by October.

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