Walkway planned near Ellis Street

Southeast Missourian

In February 1996, the new Highway 74 divided a South Cape Girardeau neighborhood with a wide, intimidating swath of concrete carrying cars and tractor-trailers that don't always abide by the 45 mph speed limit.

But residents wanting to cross the highway weren't intimidated: They often jump wire fences -- sometimes tearing them down -- to reach the other side.

That has brought about a plan by the Missouri Department of Transportation that could reunite the neighborhood while providing a safe way to get from one side of the highway to the other. The department is proposing to build and pay for a $203,000 pedestrian bridge over Highway 74 near Ellis Street about 360 feet west of the Sprigg Street intersection.

"We saw a need for it with people just crossing there and making it hard to maintain our fences," said highway department district engineer Scott Meyer. "We looked at the idea of building a pedestrian bridge that would connect the two neighborhoods back together."

The bridge could take as long as two years to design and build. The state is proposing to use federal discretionary enhancement money, called TEA-21 funds, for the project.

The program normally requires a 20 percent local match, but the transportation department has offered to waive that.

The Cape Girardeau City Council unanimously authorized the work at Monday night's meeting. The city will only be responsible for maintenance of sidewalks to be built to the bridge. The state will maintain the bridge, which will be designed so that people cannot fall off the bridge or throw objects over the side, Meyer said.

"The highway divided the south side from north Cape in a way," Ward 1 Councilman Frank Stoffregen said after the meeting. "It divided the whole area down through there. Besides, this bridge is just a good idea. Some kid's going to get hurt."

Residents glad

Neighbors who live near the highway were glad to hear of the plan.

"I have jumped that fence," admitted 18-year-old Jodi Walton. "I think a bridge would make it so that people like me didn't have to do that."

Walton lives on the north side of the highway, but his cousin lives on the south side. He said fighting the fencing and traffic is easier than walking to Sprigg Street and crossing at the crosswalk.

Tabatha Burke, 18, hasn't let the fact she's pregnant stop her from climbing the fence and crossing the busy intersection.

"I get tired of jumping that fence," she said. "But we're all blocked off. I think a lot of people would use a walking bridge. I guess it's dangerous, but I know how to look. It's not like I'm dodging cars or something."

To Robin Morris and Shelley Williams, it's a matter of safety. They live next to the highway and are afraid their three children will get through torn-down fence and onto the highway.

Williams said a bridge might mean the fence will stay intact, making it safer for her children to play outside.

"I've seen kids get through there, and my nephew threw something over the fence and went over after it," said Williams, 28. "Lord only knows what would happen if they got up to that highway."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137