CITY AWARDS CONTRACT ON INTERSECTION

The only discussion during Friday's five-minute City Council special session came from Brian Strickland of the city engineer's office.

"We have a good bid and a good contractor, and they are ready to get to work within the week," he reported before the council approved plans for the Henderson Avenue-New Madrid Street intersection project.

On June 17, Southeast Missouri State University received four bids for the improvement project prepared in May by Sverdrup Civil Inc., the university's engineering consultant. Two of the bids were less than Sverdrup's original estimate of $247,180.15, but the council awarded the contract Friday to Penzel Construction Co. Inc. on a low bid of $223,312.50.

Construction is scheduled to take 100 days.

A few contract matters have to be taken care of first, but construction should begin soon, Strickland said.

The Henderson-New Madrid intersection next to the university campus is hampered by traffic flow from five directions, including Greek Drive, and a hill that limits visibility. Nearly 5,000 cars travel through the intersection daily when the university is in session.

The improvement plan's specifications show Greek Drive will be shifted away from the intersection. The university also has said it will make the road a one-way entrance to eliminate traffic coming from Greek Drive.

Henderson will remain a through street and the intersection will remain a four-way stop.

"We will not have traffic signals, but it will be designed so that it could have them in the future," Strickland said. "Three raised islands will be constructed to help separate traffic and allow for right-hand turn lanes."

Also, New Madrid Street will be widened and improved down to the existing concrete at the Show Me Center, he said.

The project requires the city to purchase additional land.

During the special session the council accepted a general warranty deed for 900 square feet and a temporary construction easement along New Madrid Street from Dr. L. Taylor and Nancy Jo Bahn. It accepted another 1,962 square feet and a permanent drainage easement from Dr. J. Wendell and Wanda L. Wyatt.

An extra 1,337 square feet of land the city didn't need for the project was signed as a special warranty deed to the Bahns.

The Henderson-New Madrid project is one of 20 improvement projects that will be financed with money from the city's transportation sales tax. Since it is 19th on the list, the University Foundation decided to lend the city money to complete the project sooner.