ROAD WOULD BOOST ACCESS TO STORES

Extending Silver Springs Road would boost business for one Cape Girardeau supermarket.

Darrell Long, president of the Scott City division of Supervalu, says the project would benefit a number of businesses on Silver Springs Road across from West Park Mall.

One of those businesses is Shop 'n Save, which is owned by Supervalu.

Extending Silver Springs Road north of William Street would provide Westfield subdivision residents easy access to Shop 'n Save, Toys R Us and other businesses, Long said.

Shop 'n Save opened three years ago at 254 Silver Springs Road. Long said extending the street could improve the supermarket's business by 15 percent.

"We really count heavily on traffic flow," he explained.

The Westfield area, with its many apartment buildings and homes, has the greatest population density of any area of Cape Girardeau, Long said.

"That is not accessible to us today," Long pointed out.

St. Francis Medical Center hasn't opposed the project in principle. But hospital officials say they don't want to see the project proceed at this time. The route would extend across hospital property.

Long said the street extension is needed today. "It is going to be a benefit to all involved. I can't imagine why the hospital would fight the extension of Silver Springs Road."

Long said the undeveloped land is surrounded by commercial and residential development. "That is the one void in the entire west end, before you get to the interstate, that hasn't been developed."