STREET PROJECTS UNDER WAY IN CAPE

Transportation improvements are under way in Cape Girardeau.

"Maintenance of streets for the first year of the transportation trust fund program is about 99 percent completed," said Mark A. Lester, city engineer. "A lot of curb and gutter work has been completed, and we're in the process of conducting field and property surveys in the three major projects."

Lester, guest speaker at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee, updated some of the major projects in the city's five-year program, and told the group that open house meetings had already been established for three them -- Bloomfield Road, Broadway and Perryville Road."

"Maps, fact sheets and comment cards will be available at the meetings," Lester said.

Field and property surveys have already been completed for the $1.1 million Perryville Road improvements, a mile-long widening from near Meyer Drive north to the city limits.

"Construction will start on this section this fall, with a targeted spring completion time," said Lester.

Survey work has been completed on Bloomfield Road, from Kingshighway west to Interstate 55. Construction, estimated at $895,500, is tentatively scheduled to start during the spring of 1997 with completion the following fall.

Preliminary studies on the Broadway widening project, from Clark Street east to Perry Avenue, started this month. Construction on the $577,200 project is expected to start this winter.

The projects are among those being funded by a voter-approved transportation sales tax passed in August 1995.

The half-cent tax is projected to provide about $17 million over five years, based on a three percent annual growth. The city has received $572,748 from the tax through May.

A total of 20 projects are included in the five-year tax plan presented to Cape Girardeau citizens last August.

Included in the project are Hopper Road, new alignment from Mount Auburn Road west to Kage Road (Phase I) and from Kage Road to Interstate 55 (phase II); Mt. Auburn Road, widening to four lanes from William to Independence; William improvement or widening from Sprigg Street to Main Street.

Paving overlay (about $2 million), curb and gutter repair ($1.8 million) and sidewalk repair and reconstruction ($625,000) will be continuing projects over the entire five-year period.

A complete list of projects on the five-year transportation improvement program is available at city hall.