Sikeston 2023 Street and Drainage Plan approved

SIKESTON, Mo. — The 2023 Street and Drainage Improvement Plan, one of the city's most ambitious plans yet, has been approved by the Sikeston City Council.

Jay Lancaster, director of Public Works, presented this year's improvement plan to the City Council on Jan. 9.

Lancaster said for the City of Sikeston, this is a significant construction undertaking, one of the biggest ever, exceeding $2 million, with the majority of those funds coming from external grant funding.

According to the plan, Stephens Street (from Gehrig to Campanella Drive), Euclid Avenue (from Wakefield Avenue to Salcedo Road), Pine Street (from Ables Road to Virginia Street), Presnell Street (from Missouri Avenue to dead end), and the downtown alley between Front and Center streets would all be milled and resurfaced (from New Madrid Street to Scott Street).

Along with the Center Street sidewalk, renovations from New Madrid Street to Scott Street, concrete rehabilitation on Larcel Drive from South Main Street to Santie Oil Co. are also included, and so are some other pavement maintenance.

"This coming up year, one of the things we are looking at is having to do concrete reconstruction on the east end of Larcel Drive," Lancaster said.

He continued: "The truck traffic has just beat it up, and it is in poor physical condition, so one of the things we're going to be doing is coming up with a project to tear out that pavement and reconstruct it with new concrete pavement so that industrial and truck traffic out there has a good road to use that is strong enough to handle the loads out there."

Reconstruction of the intersections at North Kingshighway and East Center Street, New Madrid Avenue and North Street, as well as seal coating in the Glenn Street neighborhood and the Cardinal Street and Thrush Street area, are also part of the proposal.

The intersections are in poor physical condition as well, according to Lancaster.

"Where those two roads cross, we're going to be taking care of that interior intersection as well as going back on each road a little bit in all four directions and just tearing them out and putting them back with new concrete," Lancaster said.

Lancaster also said there will also be some new drainage infrastructure underneath the roads, as well.

The planned street projects will cost a total of $1,017,282.36 (construction plus 11% for engineering). If extra funds become available or a desired project falters, there is also a list of alternate plans.

Lancaster said there are additional projects this summer that will take place with funds from Community Development Block Grants.

These projects include paving repairs and overlays for Hardin Street (Main Street to Kingshighway), Matthews Avenue (Main Street to Pine Street), East Kathleen Avenue (Main to Pine and Main to Kingshighway) and South Prairie Avenue (East Malone Avenue to Gladys Street). They also include milling and overlays for South Frisco Street (Ruth Street to Murray Lane), Kendall Street (South West Street to Handy Street), West Gladys Street (South West to Handy), William Street (South West to Frisco Street) (East Kathleen Street).

To enhance stormwater management and install more infrastructure, the city also received American Rescue Plan Act funding.

"We're going to be working on several stormwater improvements, hopefully this summer," Lancaster said.

He added: "We're continuing to study the Anderson area, and improve that stormwaterwise, and we're also going to be doing different stormwater improvements in different parts of town."

Other locations this summer the city plans to improve stormwaterwise are South West/Murray Lane area and the Goldbriar area, and clean out Lateral C south of Sikeston city limits located on U.S. 60 to St. John's main channel.

Lancaster said they also plan to clean out the ditch and culverts under the railroad track at Greenbriar Ditch as well this summer.

Work is being done at the Main and Malone crossroads, which is a Missouri Department of Transportation project, in addition to the city's improvements.

To extend the turn lanes and widen the islands, MoDOT will modify the Main and Malone signal. People will be able to stroll through Main and Malone correctly rather than just rushing through, Lancaster said.

"It will be a fully [Americans with Disabilities Act]-compliant traffic signal with push buttons and sidewalks so people can walk through Main and Malone properly instead of just going for it," Lancaster said.

Residents who live on the impacted streets are requested to be patient as they make the necessary adjustments, Lancaster said, adding that throughout the duration of the initiatives, the city also wants to keep access for all locals as the projects progress.