Chaffee sidewalk project wrapping up

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- As one infrastructure project in Chaffee ends, another soon will begin.

The city sidewalk project deadline is Jan. 4, and city administrator Lee Horton expects work to be finished by then.

Concrete was being poured last week from Main Street to Helen Street last week, which will complete a loop around the city that will be handicap accessible.

Chaffee residents have requested new sidewalks for many years. Plans began in December 2010 when a grant application was submitted; it was approved in April 2011, with groundbreaking July 10, 2011. The cost to the city was nearly $56,000; total construction cost was nearly $281,000. The sidewalk project is funded by an 80/20 matching grant by the Federal Transportation Enhancement Program and managed by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

"The sidewalks are safer and have handicap accessibility for wheelchairs, and will also help with strollers," said city Councilwoman Anne Whistler. "This will make Chaffee look much nicer."

Once the sidewalk is completed, finishing touches will begin, including handicap intersections, street cuts, landscaping and drainage upgrades.

"People are using the sidewalks," Horton said. "We have had some complaints from residents during the construction process, but overall the feedback has been positive."

Horton said additional grants are being sought to replace more sidewalks.

The grant obtained by the city was specific to providing a loop that was compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. One of the specifications was that sidewalks be 5 feet wide to accommodate wheelchairs.

Water project

The next big project for Chaffee will be the replacement of water lines and construction of a new water plant.

"We are so close to breaking ground for this project," Horton said.

The city obtained a $6.2 million low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will fund the project, and Horton said construction will start in early spring.

"Engineers will be submitting plans to the USDA Rural Development and Department of Natural Resources for final approval soon; once final approval is given then we can begin the bidding process, which will take approximately 60 days," he said. Once construction begins, the project will take 18 months to complete.

"The water project has been needed for a very long time, and will add to the quality of life in Chaffee with better drinking water, bathing water and help with residents' laundry," Whistler said. "This will also be a great selling point for new businesses and residents."

Easements from property owners are being collected so that water meters on their property can be moved. Work cannot begin until all easements are collected. The city has received approximately 85 percent of the required easements and will absorb all costs rather than charging property owners.

The loan also will fund the rehabilitation of the sewer system, which will begin after the water project is complete.

Pertinent address:

Chaffee, Mo.