Better Broadway

The new four-lane stretch of Broadway between Perry and Park avenues, along with the upgraded Broadway-West End Boulevard intersection, is a welcome improvement for motorists and provides an attractive access to Southeast Missouri State University's new fountain-lined "front door" that was developed last year.

The project, which required closing a stretch of Broadway and the intersection, was the target of unfair and unsubstantiated criticism from the corporate headquarters of Hardee's, which has had a fast-food restaurant there for years. One Hardee's official said the Broadway project was the reason the restaurant was closed -- the day after the city reopened the heavily used artery.

The city made extraordinary accommodations for businesses affected by the construction project. Temporary access drives were built, and special signage was put up showing motorists how to get to those businesses. At no time was access to Hardee's shut off entirely.

Originally, the city planned to expand the Hardee's parking lot behind the restaurant to make up for parking space lost due to the widening of Broadway. City officials say work on the vacant lot behind the former Hardee's location will be done by the new owners of the property, and the city has compensated them for the lost parking spaces.

While the Broadway project caused some inconvenience to motorists and business owners for a few weeks, the city deserves praise, not criticism, for its efforts to make sure the work was done in a short time frame and that businesses were accommodated in the process. The result is a tremendous improvement.