A Cape Girardeau committee developing a list of transportation-sales-tax projects has removed one proposed Veterans Memorial Drive project from consideration while keeping extension of another section of the street on the list for now.

Committee members, meeting Monday at city hall, dropped plans to construct a section of Veterans Memorial Drive from County Road 306 to the Midamerica Hotels property along Interstate 55 adjacent to the SportsPlex. The project has an estimated price tag of $4.6 million.

The city also has plans to extend Veterans Memorial Drive south from Hopper Road to connect with Farrar Drive. That project is estimated to cost $6 million, although deputy city manager Molly Mehner said the cost estimate is about five years old.

Committee members said they plan to look at whether to include that project in the list of projects to be funded if voters extend the transportation sales tax next April.

Former Mayor Harry Rediger, who chairs the advisory committee, has expressed support for proceeding with the southern section of the Veterans Memorial Drive project.

When fully completed, the north-south route would allow motorists to drive from LaSalle Avenue to Route K.

But committee member and former councilman John Voss said there are “a lot of competing demands” for street projects with a limited amount of funding.

The tax is expected to generate $25 million over five years.

Committee members have suggested spending $13.5 million on street repairs. That would leave $12 million available for major street projects.

Committee members said they plan to review and “score” a list of projects to determine which ones to include in presenting a recommended list to the City Council by November.

But the committee Monday trimmed the list of projects it will rank, dropping some, such as the one section of Veterans Memorial Drive and improvements to New Madrid Street.

City officials have talked of improving New Madrid Street from Perry Avenue to Clark Avenue, Rediger said.

But he added that “wouldn’t be a cheap project.” It is estimated to cost more than $1 million.

In the end, committee members scratched it off the potential list.

The advisory group also dropped proposed improvements to Sprigg Street, north of Broadway, with an estimated price tag of $2.6 million, from the list.

A project to widen the Bloomfield Road overpass over I-55 at an estimated cot of $5.75 million also was taken off the potential list.

Rediger and other committee members said the cost of particular projects will factor into the decision of which projects to recommend. Committee members have asked city staff to provide updated cost estimates.

The public will have an opportunity to provide input at two meetings in September, the committee said.

The meetings will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 and 25. One session will be at the Osage Centre and the other at the Shawnee Park Center.

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