SIDEWALK JOB NEARLY COMPLETED

Cape Girardeau's program to repair sidewalks and curbs will take a break soon. Its $139,000 contract with Kelley Construction has been almost fulfilled.

Workers will finish up the contract by repairing the sidewalks on Lorimier, Spanish, Fountain and Themis streets close to downtown. After that is done, the city will study what to do next, said Brian Strickland of the city's engineering division.

It could take "a few months" to draw up bid specifications for the next contract, Strickland said.

Last spring, workers began repairing sidewalks and curbs at Broadway and Caruthers streets and worked their way east to Spanish and south to William streets. They skipped those areas slated for sewer work because city engineers didn't want the sidewalks torn up after being repaired, Strickland said.

The city-funded program covered the area south of Southeast Missouri Hospital, the area around Louis J. Schultz School, on Ellis Street, on Themis Street and the area just south of downtown.