SEMPO gives public look at transportation plan

Members of the public had two opportunities Thursday to weigh in on Southeast Missouri's first regional, long-range transportation plan.

Public input sessions were hosted by the Southeast Metropolitan Planning Organization -- also known as SEMPO -- in Jackson and Cape Girardeau.

SEMPO covers the Cape Girardeau/Jackson urbanized area that includes portions of Cape Girardeau and Scott counties, as well as portions of East Cape Girardeau and Alexander County in Illinois. It's federally mandated and funded.

At the open-house-style meetings, people were encouraged to ask questions about and provide input on the 2016-2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. Developing the plan was a cooperative effort among SEMPO, the Missouri and Illinois departments of transportation, natural resource agencies, local elected officials, not-for-profit organizations, private agencies and area residents.

It contains recommendations for future transportation improvements, including funded and unfunded projects. All the projects came from member cities, counties and transportation authorities, said Ryan Shrimplin, who serves as a transportation planner for SEMPO and city planner for the city of Cape Girardeau. They include upgrades or additions to roads, bridges, sidewalks and more.

The fiscally constrained list includes projects that have an identified funding source or are expected to receive funding in the near future. It includes projects listed under Cape Girardeau's Transportation Trust Fund 5, new rail construction by the Southeast Missouri Port and several Jackson road, bridge and sidewalk projects.

As for the unfunded illustrative list, Shrimplin said it could be considered a kind of "wish list."

Among the included projects are more port additions and road extensions and expansions in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

The function of SEMPO and the regional transportation plan is to make sure as municipalities and agencies move forward with projects, they do so with knowledge of what already is happening in the surrounding community.

"That's the whole goal," Shrimplin said. "We're doing this collectively and looking at all the parts and making sure everything's coordinated."

SEMPO's plan, which still is in its draft form, also included some projections for possible growth in the community. A core group of SEMPO members and Cape Girardeau and Jackson city staff helped create the maps of possible future growth.

"We have a thorough understanding of the two main communities and the county as a whole," said Shrimplin, who was a member of the core group.

There are three scenarios featured: no growth, sustained growth and enhanced growth. The plans also take into account whether the growth is residential or commercial and how the development may change traffic patterns. Growth maps also included recommended projects that could offer some possible transportation improvements.

The Center Junction area, for example, could see more projects from both Cape Girardeau and Jackson, depending on the level of development in upcoming years.

Any type of growth in the community, residential or commercial, will add more strain to Interstate 55, which already is considered a "near-capacity road" in SEMPO's plans. Shrimplin said MoDOT expects the section of the interstate near Cape Girardeau will need to be expanded to three lanes in either direction.

"It's a major artery through Southeast Missouri," he said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Jackson, Mo.

Cape Girardeau, Mo.