With funding approved for major road improvement projects in Centertown and St. Martins, Cole County commissioners signed agreements with the towns during their meeting Tuesday.
Centertown and St. Martins were among five communities in the county to receive cooperative funding, approved by the commission earlier this month. The money comes from the county’s half-cent capital improvement sales tax to be used for “substantial improvements.”
The Cole County Road and Bridge Advisory Committee members ranked the projects, and the commission awarded funds based on those rankings.
Under the agreement signed with the county, Centertown and St. Martins would have two years to get their projects bid.
Centertown was awarded $200,000 for drainage repairs and street and sidewalk improvements on Route NN and Main and Monroe streets.
“At the current time, children ride their bicycles and scooters ride down the north side sidewalk or street,” said resident Sally Whitaker, who wrote a letter endorsing the project. “Traffic coming around the corner on (Route) NN does not always obey the speed limit and comes flying around the corner, putting these children in danger. The addition of a sidewalk on the south side of Main would make things safer.”
Village leaders look to start right-of-way acquisition in September along with design work, according to paperwork filed for the project. Construction is scheduled to start in June 2019 and be completed by October 2019.
Centertown will contribute a $50,000 match. With potential grant funding to cover the rest of the cost, the final bill is estimated at just under $300,000.
St. Martins received $250,000 for Business 50 pedestrian safety improvements and overlay work.
“The city took over Business 50 in the 1990s when the new four-lane highway came in,” St. Martins City Administrator Doug Reece said. “Other than filling in potholes, there have been no major improvements since then. It hasn’t been overlayed. It’s the original road from when the new (Business) 50 went in. The city is responsible for the upkeep from Rainbow Drive on west. Going east of Rainbow, it’s Cole County’s responsibility.”
Reece said the board has envisioned a two-phase plan, with the first phase putting in 8-foot-wide shoulders, a 4-foot-wide bike lane, and a 4-foot walking lane on both sides from Evan Lee to Hillside. The estimated cost is $890,000.
St. Martins also plans to apply for a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation. That funding won’t be announced until later this year.
Reece said the city hopes to have the funding arranged and go out for bids on the first phase of upgrades in 2019.
The other communities receiving county funding for projects include:
• Wardsville was awarded $75,000 to do a conceptual study of safety improvements at the routes B/M/W intersection.
• St. Thomas was awarded $55,000 to install school zone flashers on Route B and make sidewalk improvements on National Street.
• Russellville was awarded $220,000 for reconstruction of Marion Street, including sidewalk work.