A project to improve the safety of commuting schoolchildren will be done in St. Thomas thanks to recently approved funding from the Cole County Commission.
St. Thomas was awarded $55,000 to install school zone flashers on Route B and make sidewalk improvements on National Street.
The town was one of five to submit and be awarded the cooperative project funding by the commission for this year.
The St. Thomas project calls for the replacement of existing school zone signage with two solar-powered school zone safety flashers on each side of Route B. City officials said this would improve safety for students and their families at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade, while they exit the school parking lot/driveway onto Route B and merge into traffic from the north and south of the school.
The project will also replace 800 linear feet of old deteriorating sidewalk along one of St. Thomas' heaviest traveled streets and would include improvements to comply with Americans With Disabilities Act standards.
"We are one of the smallest towns in Cole County, so revenues are low," St. Thomas Mayor Bob Schellman said. "The city has not been able to provide infrastructure improvements such as curbs and gutters to city streets or street lighting to residents that were annexed in 45 years ago.
"This project has been part of previous plans developed by the city. It will improve safety for the children as well as provide a walking path for residents since we don't have walking trails."
The current work schedule shows the school flashers to cost $15,000 and to be installed sometime in the near future, Schellman said.
The sidewalk replacement, estimated to cost $40,000, could be completed by November.
"What the county did was a real benefit for all the communities," Schellman said.
The four other communities to receive money for projects included:
St. Martins was awarded $250,000 for Business 50 pedestrian safety improvements and overlay work.
Wardsville was awarded $75,000 to do a conceptual study of safety improvements at the routes B/M/W intersection.
Russellville was awarded $220,000 for reconstruction of Marion Street, including sidewalk work.
Centertown was awarded $200,000 for drainage, and street and sidewalk improvements on Route NN, and Main and Monroe streets.
Cole County had set aside $800,000 in its half-cent capital improvement sales tax for cooperative funding projects with small communities in the county, to be used for "substantial improvements" There will be $400,000 this year and $400,000 next year.
The Cole County Road and Bridge Advisory Committee members ranked the projects, and the commission awarded funds based on those rankings.
This money could be used for any road and bridge-related project, including stormwater improvements or sidewalk and intersection improvements. The maximum funding per project was $250,000.
So far, the County Commission has signed agreements with St. Martins and Centertown. Schelleman said he has sent back the agreement for St. Thomas. County officials anticipate Russellville and Wardsville will have their paperwork in shortly.