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NewsSeptember 26, 1996

Mayor Al Spradling III said today's dedication of Lexington Avenue and North Sprigg streets will be brief. Nobody wants to get run over. At 3 p.m., rain or shine, Spradling and other city officials will gather where the roads intersect. After a few comments are made and the ribbon is cut, traffic will be welcomed...

HEIDI NIELAND

Mayor Al Spradling III said today's dedication of Lexington Avenue and North Sprigg streets will be brief.

Nobody wants to get run over.

At 3 p.m., rain or shine, Spradling and other city officials will gather where the roads intersect. After a few comments are made and the ribbon is cut, traffic will be welcomed.

Despite a few warnings to stay off Lexington between Old Sprigg Street Road and Big Bend Road, many motorists just couldn't wait. Both new stretches are bound to be busy as soon as barricades are moved, Spradling said.

He also predicted instant residential growth in the area. That is what followed the opening of Lexington between Kingshighway and Cape Rock Drive.

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But seven years ago, before anyone knew about Lexington's benefits, there were arguments over whether the first section of the avenue should be developed at all. Connecting it with Big Bend was out of the question for some.

"We had wars going on over doing it in the first place," said Spradling. "The council had knock-down, drag-out fights about it. Now that it is in, I think all those issues that arose seven years ago have been settled. It really will keep traffic moving."

The two new streets are being touted as the northern part of a loop around the city. The others making up the total loop are Mount Auburn Road and William Street.

North Sprigg will stop at Bertling Street and at Lexington. City Engineer Mark Lester said both Bertling and Lexington will remain through streets until new traffic patterns are determined. If anything should be changed at that time, he said, it will be.

Work on the North Sprigg extension, which starts at Bertling and runs north for one mile to Lexington, began in July 1995. The general contractor was Dannie Gilder Excavating of Gordonville. ASA Asphalt of Advance provided the pavement and Driskell Cement Finishing of Cape Girardeau completed curb and gutter work.

Work on the one-mile Lexington extension also began in 1995. General contractors were Fronabarger Concreters of Jackson and Lappe Cement Finishing of Perryville. Tom Beussink of Jackson completed excavation work.

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