Jackson plans for patching work during summer

Broadridge Drive and Lee Avenue will be two of the main streets targeted when the city of Jackson's annual concrete patching program begins in a few weeks.

The work will likely begin at the end of May and continue until September, city engineer Dan Triller said.

The street department used to do the work, but as the city has grown, the city decided to contract out the work. Fronabarger Concreters appears to be the low bidder at $99,829. The board of aldermen will consider the bids at Monday's meeting.

Forty-four panels are slated to be torn up and replaced, Triller said. They will be prioritized by the amount of traffic. The more traffic the road services, the higher it is put on the list.

Jackson street superintendent Steve Hendrix said some of the lower-priority residential streets are spread evenly between wards so improvements are made in every area of town.

Both Broadridge and Lee are collector streets, meaning they carry more than local traffic and are among the streets that will be given a high priority. Broadridge connects a few subdivisions and services a church, a medical office, a daycare and a retirement home -- all in close proximity to the middle school on abutting Independence Street.

The traffic and winter weather have made the road rough in places.

"They need to do something," said Kathy Suffern, who lives at 519 Broadridge. "It's kind of rough in spots -- not all over, of course. A lot of it has to do with the weather, I'm sure."

All told, six panels will be replaced on Broadridge.

Lee Avenue and Jackson Trail, meanwhile, handle a lot of truck traffic in an industrial zone. Those roads service factories and industrial companies, including a concrete company and a transfer station. Five sections of Lee Avenue and at least four on West Jackson Trail will be replaced.

Ceramo Co. Inc. has a warehouse on Lee Avenue.

"It's pretty bad, but it's to be expected," said Stone Manes, corporate secretary treasurer with Ceramo. "There's an awful lot of traffic on that route. It needs to be done. There are a good many cracks in the route and some potholes."

Triller said the city discourages the closure of streets whenever possible. Property owners will be notified in advance if that has to happen, he said.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

ROAD WORK

The following Jackson streets will have at least one concrete panel replaced this spring or summer as part of Jackson's annual concrete patching program

Broadridge Drive

Brimrose Lane

Tanglewood

Redbud

Morgan

Hillcrest

Lee Avenue

Jackson Trail

Madison

East Main

Old Cape Road

South Shawnee

Bel-Air Drive

Bainbridge

Donna

Shady Lane

Apache Avenue

Cherokee

Woodland

Ridge

Lakewood

Stotler Way

Vail

Sue

Eastview Court

Jessica

Neal