HIGHWAY WORK IN AREA TOTALS $8 MILLION

In February 1991, the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department said it would spend more than $8 million for bridge and highway construction and traffic-safety improvement projects in the Cape Girardeau area during the coming two years.

The largest of those projects a 1,472-foot Highway 25 bridge over the Diversion Channel, and paving of 1.4 miles of relocated highway approaches to the bridge from Dutchtown and Blomeyer will open next month, a spokesman with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department said Wednesday.

"The overall project is about 60 percent complete, but if everything goes all right and the weather holds, we hope to open the new bridge and relocated highway to traffic in mid-November," said Bob Wilson, resident engineer at Jackson for the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department's District 10 office at Sikeston.

Wilson said the new bridge was completed in August. The paving work started Aug. 13.

"The contractor is now tying in the last 300 feet of new pavement with the Highway 74 intersection in Dutchtown," he said. "That should be completed in mid-November. As soon as that's done, we'll be ready to open the highway and bridge."

Wilson said the remainder of the project will include completion of shoulder and embankment work along the southbound lane of the new highway and removal of the old pavement and the 62-year-old bridge.

"As soon as the new highway and bridge are open, the contractor will begin tearing out the old pavement from the adjoining highway so they can complete the shoulder and embankment work on the west side of the new pavement. That work will continue through the winter as weather permits.

"At the same time, the contractor will start demolishing the old bridge. That work will also continue through the winter into next spring."

Until the entire project is completed next summer, the speed restrictions will remain in effect on the new highway between Dutchtown and Blomeyer, Wilson said.

"First, there is very little shoulder on the west side of the new pavement until the contractor can get in there and build up the embankment," he explained. "And while that work is going on, there will be men and equipment working alongside the new highway, so we're asking motorists to continue to observe the lower speed limit in the construction zone until all of the work is completed next summer."

Wilson said the highway department had hoped to open the new section of highway and bridge earlier this month.

The cost of the new bridge and relocated highway is $5.9 million.

Wilson said other projects that have been completed or are nearing completion in the Cape Girardeau area since 1991 include: bank and shoulder stabilization work along the Highway 77 overpass at the Southern Pacific Railroad north of Chaffee, at a cost of $800,000; resurfacing and intersection improvements on Route K, between Highway 25 and I-55, west of Cape Girardeau, $770,000; Route K and Silver Springs Road, traffic signals, $120,000; Route K-Mt. Auburn intersection improvements and installation of permanent traffic signals, $442,000; and the North Kingshighway, Mt. Auburn, Lexington intersection realignment and installation of traffic signals, $700,000.

Also completed and now open is the new Highway 177 bridge over Flora Creek, near Egypt Mills. The Highway 51 bridge, south of Marble Hill, is expected to be opened to traffic in mid-November, depending on weather conditions. And traffic signals that were installed last week at the improved intersection of West Jackson Boulevard and West Lane in Jackson are now on flash to allow motorists to get accustomed to the lights. The signals are expected to begin working later this week.

Scheduled to begin next week is a bridge renovation and asphalt overlay project on Route N, between Scott City and Chaffee, in north Scott County.

"The asphalt overlay portion of the project won't start until next spring, but the bridge work will begin next week," said Wilson. "The contractor has received the materials and has informed us he's ready to start."

Wilson said it should take about four weeks to remove the old railing from the Route N, Ramsey Creek bridge, west of Scott City, and replace it with new railing. In addition, a weather-proof coating will be applied to prevent weather damage to the concrete bridge deck.

"While the work is going on, there will be single-lane traffic over the bridge," said Wilson. "Temporary signals that have been installed on each side of the bridge will control the movement of traffic over the bridge while the work is under way."

On Friday, the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department will open bids at its October letting. No Cape Girardeau County projects are on the October letting list. However, there are several Bootheel projects and one in Ste. Genevieve County, all in District 10.

The Ste. Genevieve project includes replacement of a bridge on Route O, west of I-55, and north of Weingarten. The project involves some rock removal, which will begin this winter. Actual bridge work will not begin until next spring, a highway department official said.

The Bootheel projects set for letting Friday include:

- New Madrid County, Route 62, east of Malden, replacement of two bridges. Work will begin this winter, with major construction starting next spring.

- Pemiscot County, I-55, installation of a large box culvert under the interstate as part of a Corps of Engineers drainage ditch rehabilitation project.

- Pemiscot County, Highway 61-Route 164, removal of old asphalt and resurfacing, from Steele to Arkansas line. Also bridge deck rehabilitation. In connection with this project, the following routes will be resurfaced with one-inch asphalt: Route 108 in Dunklin County, and Route 164 in Pemiscot County.

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission is expected to discuss the Highway 74 bridge route through Cape Girardeau, and the eastward extension of Nash Road to the Southeast Missouri Port Authority slackwater harbor at its November meeting, which will be held next week in Cape Girardeau. The commission will also review construction bids that were opened Oct 30.