Road to link Kingshighway, LaSalle Avenue

The city of Cape Girardeau is rolling toward a major road project aimed at easing traffic congestion.

The Lewis and Clark Parkway -- a virtual road formerly known as Technology Drive -- will materialize in three phases, with the goal of linking Kingshighway to another yet-to-be-built road, LaSalle Avenue. Lewis and Clark Parkway will cost an estimated $2.4 million.

"The whole objective is to have this connectivity from Kingshighway all the way to LaSalle," said Kelly Green, Cape Girardeau's city engineer. "It will alleviate a lot of our traffic problems."

LaSalle Avenue will give Cape Girardeau drivers access to Interstate 55 at Jackson's East Main Street interchange, which is under construction. LaSalle Avenue, which will cost an estimated $1.2 million to build, will stretch from the 102 mile marker on I-55 to Route W.

Lewis and Clark Parkway won't get underway until LaSalle Avenue is at least begun, Green said. That won't happen until engineers complete environmental and cultural studies of the area to meet federal funding guidelines.

The good news about construction is, she said, "it won't be affecting traffic flow."

"It's not like we're working on Broadway," Green said. "It's all a brand-new road, and when we get in there, it should take a shorter amount of time because we won't have to work around traffic."

Lewis and Clark Parkway will help develop the northwest corner of Cape Girardeau much the way the Siemers Drive area has grown, according to Green.

The northwest side is, she said, "about the only room to grow" in the city.

The new roads will have two key qualities for drawing business, said Tim Arbeiter, vice president for community development for the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce.

"When you're talking about development, you look at high traffic and the ability of the consumer to travel from multiple points of interest," he said.

Arbeiter refused to speculate on what types of retail or other businesses might be attracted to the city's northwest corner.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127