Cooperative street project to start this spring

Work on a much anticipated Jefferson City street project could begin this spring.

In 2012, Cole County commissioners endorsed a cooperative project with Jefferson City to make improvements along Capitol Avenue from Adams to Lafayette streets.

At Tuesday's Commission meeting, Jefferson City public works officials said the plan was to bid out the work later this month. They would request approval from the Jefferson City Council and County Commission in April and could start work in May, possibly finishing by October.

Officials said the work in the three-block corridor would include new and repaired sidewalks, curb and gutter work, new street lighting, and pedestrian improvements at intersections.

The hope is a refurbished link between the downtown area and the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) would spur redevelopment along the corridor.

The price tag would be $1.6 million.

The county and city agreed in 2012 to pay $300,000 each, with the money to come from half-cent sales tax funds.

For the remaining costs, the proposal uses $500,000 plus from the last half-cent sales tax fund for MSP redevelopment. An additional $100,000 in funding for transit and bike/pedestrian enhancements in the city could also be used. The remaining nearly $400,000 would be split between the city and county, coming from the half-cent sales tax voters approved last year.

Western District Commissioner Kris Sheperle said he was concerned about the cost, as well as with recent discussions among city leaders about redevelopment efforts along Capitol Avenue and how that work could destroy or damage the improvements this project would bring.

Jefferson City Public Works Director Matt Morasch said many of the structures being considered for redevelopment along Capitol Avenue can be accessed through alleys, and any damage done during redevelopment would have to be paid for by those who caused it.

However, he said now would be the best time to get the street work done.

"It took time to get where it's at now, and it's going to take time to get it back to where it should be," Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher said.

Morasch and Jefferson City Engineer David Bange also asked commissioners to consider helping with another cooperative project.

As Helias High School has been working on its multi-million-dollar expansion, the school and the city have looked at improving the intersection at Swifts Highway and Myrtle Street.

While the intersection's traffic count could warrant a traffic signal, the preference is to put in a roundabout, Morasch said.

He said the city had worked out an agreement with Helias for the right of way to put in a roundabout at the intersection. The cost would be $500,000 in half-cent sales tax funds, and the idea would be to make this a cooperative project with the city and county splitting the cost. There is no timeline for when the work would start.

Although Morasch and Bange said they would like to get an answer soon, commissioners said they needed more time to consider the matter.