Tonight's public, open house for Broadway improvements may be the most attended yet.

It is the third in a series of such events sponsored by the city of Cape Girardeau. From 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the A.C. Brase Arena Building, improvement project staff and city officials will be on hand to answer citizens' questions. Maps of Broadway, fact sheets and comment cards will be available.

About 50 people attended the first open house in July. It concerned proposed improvements on Perryville Road. Most in attendance were property owners along the road whose land will be affected by the changes.

Under current plans, Perryville Road will be widened to 36 feet from just past Meyer Drive to the city limits. Sidewalks will be added, and several ditches changed to storm sewers.

The second open house, conduced in August, addressed Bloomfield Road improvements. About 65 people attended.

The city intends to widen and reconstruct the 1.25-mile section between Kingshighway and Siemers Drive. The result, engineers hope, will be a safer roadway with better sight distance at intersections. Drainage also will be improved and a sidewalk added.

Broadway improvements stand to affect more drivers than both the other projects. The street is a main artery leading to Southeast Missouri State University and downtown Cape Girardeau.

Current plans include widening and improving pavement from Clark to Perry Avenue and improving drainage.

As part of the project, eleven intersections will receive signal system upgrades to improve traffic flow. These intersections include Broadway at Caruthers, Perry, West End, Pacific and Sprigg; Independence at Sprigg, Pacific, West End and Caruthers; and Sprigg at William and Morgan Oak.

The open houses are conducted to inform residents about road projects funded by a half-cent transportation sales tax passed in 1995. Plans for Perryville and Bloomfield roads will be available at tonight's meeting, also.

Those unable to attend the meeting who wish to comment on any of the projects may write City Engineer Mark Lester, P.O. Box 617, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0617.