One of Cape Girardeau's numerous flood-prone intersections will be rebuilt in the coming weeks as the city starts one of two street drainage improvement projects slated for work this year.

Construction easements have been acquired and bids will be considered tonight for drainage improvement work at the intersection of Themis Street and Silver Springs Road, city engineer Jay Stencel said.

Stencel said construction on the project will likely begin in about four weeks and take 140 days to complete. Traffic will be detoured while construction is taking place.

The work will install new inlets for water to drain off the road, a new box culvert and change the slope of the road, which is currently an inverted crown shape, to allow water to drain off the service more efficiently, Stencel said.

Right now the intersection is one of many in Cape Gir-ardeau that becomes covered with water after a heavy, fast downpour.

Earlier this year, the Cape Gir-ardeau Public Works Department identified 113 "high-water streets" in the area, one being the Silver Springs and Themis intersection. The city budget only has money available to fix two of those problem areas this year -- the current project and Aquamsi Street near the River Campus.

Public works director Tim Gramling said the Aquamsi project will begin work later this year. Gramling also said the city has probably identified more problem areas since the 113 were identified in February but didn't have information on other areas readily available.

The current project is something of a victory for Ward 5 Councilman Matthew Hopkins, who said he's pushed for the improvements for years. The area near the intersection is home to several apartment complexes, so a lot of traffic travels through the intersection, Hopkins said. But when a heavy, quick rain comes, the intersection is virtually impassible, he said, though some motorists try anyway.

Stencel said it's hard to say exactly how much rain is needed to flood the intersection, because the main factor is how quickly the rain falls. Large, fast rains in Cape Girardeau inevitably flood intersections throughout the city, including the one at Silver Springs and Themis, he added.

msanders@semissourian.com

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