State approves funding for Cape sidewalk project

Cape Girardeau will receive more than $201,000 from the Missouri Department of Transportation for new sidewalks along Independence Street.

Cape Girardeau, along with Southeast Missouri cities of Poplar Bluff, Dexter and Sikeston, were among eight recipients in the MoDOT's Southeast District to receive funds to improve pedestrian traffic.

MoDOT transportation project designer Elquin Auala said from the more than 20 counties that comprise the district, MoDOT received 19 applications for projects that included trails, sidewalks and accessibility improvements.

Two of the applications came from Cape Girardeau.

One, for sidewalks along Cape Rock Drive, was denied, but the other was accepted.

It laid out plans for sidewalks along Independence Street from Gordonville Road to where the Cape LaCroix Creek passes under Independence.

The sidewalk would make it easier for pedestrians to walk from the newly installed roundabout at the intersection of Gordonville Road and Independence Street to the Cape LaCroix Recreation Trail.

MoDOT is splitting $1.74 million between the eight recipients.

Cape Girardeau is expected to receive $201,455 of that to help defray its $258,275 price tag.

Submission guidelines allowed cities to design applications with up to 80 percent of the proposed cost reimbursable.

Auala said the fact Cape Girardeau's winning application requested MoDOT to reimburse 78 percent of the cost made the proposal more attractive from the state's perspective.

Attempts to reach city engineer Casey Brunke on Tuesday for comment about the project's timeline were unsuccessful.

The application program providing the enhancement funds to Cape Girardeau is not the same as the Missouri Moves program that would have helped pay for LED sidewalk lights in Jackson before the program lost its funding in September.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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