At its March 9 meeting, the City Council approved two road projects and introduced bills for four others. All were sponsored by Mayor Bill Hennessy.
Sommers Road
By a vote of 9-0, the council passed Bill No. 7536 for the Sommers Road Widening and Improvements Project. A Ward 1 seat remains vacant until April 4. The project will widen Sommers Road to three lanes between Discovery Ridge Elementary School and Oakhurst Parkway, install a sidewalk where there currently is no sidewalk, install a pedestrian path on both sides of the road, and resurface the entire length of the road from Belmont Landing to Hwy. DD.
The project will cost $1,876,692, with $1,501,354 from St. Charles County Transportation Improvements Sales Tax funds (Road Board), and $375,338 from O’Fallon. Those funds are included in the approved 2023 city budget.
Guthrie Road
By a vote of 9-0, the council passed a resolution for the Guthrie Road Improvements Project. This includes reconstructing Guthrie Road from Flint Brook Drive to just north of Bluff Brook Drive including stormwater and pedestrian improvements.
KCI Construction Company was chosen to do the work, as the lowest responsive bidder.
This project will cost no more than $4,299,750. The St. Charles County Transportation Sales Tax will fund 80%, with 20% coming from the city. This was included in the city’s 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and the 2023 budget but will need a mid-year budget adjustment for the final amount.
Four new bills were given first readings. If normal process and timing are followed, all would be given second readings and votes for passage at the next council meeting on March 23.
Eggering Drive/St. Matthew Avenue
Bill No. 7540 would approve a Surface Transportation Block Grant Program Agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to fund a portion of the Eggering Drive/St. Matthew Avenue Reconstruction Phase 1 project at a reimbursement amount not to exceed $792,750.
The project involves the reconstruction of Eggering Drive, from Sonderen Street to St. Matthew Avenue, including a full removal and replacement of the roadway through the project limits. The project also will address pedestrian improvements including repairs, reconstruction, and installation of new sidewalk from St. Matthew Avenue to Sonderen Street.
Total project cost is estimated at $1,585,500. This agreement will provide $792,750 in federal funding (50% of estimated project total) for all items that are eligible for federal reimbursement.
This is the first step in preparing for the major project. The city will seek additional funding for this project from the St. Charles County Road Board to further reduce the City's funding obligation. This project is included in the city's five-year CIP, with funding being allocated in 2024-2026.
Main Street
Bill No. 7541 would approve the Main Street Phase 2 Improvement Project general plan and would authorize land acquisition. The improvements would include resurfacing of Main Street from Pitman Avenue to Terra Lane; a new 8-foot-wide multi-use path along the east side of the roadway; and a new 5-foot sidewalk along the west side of the roadway.
The 2023 city budget includes funds for the acquisition of necessary land. The East-West Gateway Council of Governments' Surface Transportation Program already agreed to provide as much as $1,423,393 to help support the overall project.
Weldon Spring Road/Crusher Drive
Bill No. 7542 would approve the Weldon Spring Road and Crusher Drive Intersection Improvement Project general plan and would authorize land acquisition. The improvements would include a new three-lane 39' wide concrete pavement cross-section; a new roundabout intersection at Weldon Spring Road and Crusher Drive; and installation of a 10-foot-wide shared use path along the west side of the roadway to connect to the existing shared use path installed by the new apartment development between Technology and Crusher drives.
The city’s 2023 budget includes funds for the acquisition of necessary land. East-West Gateway's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program already agreed to provide as much as $1,041,764 to support the overall project. For the remainder of project costs, the Road Board already agreed to provide 80%, with the city providing 20%.
Crestview Drive
Bill No. 7543 would approve the Crestview Extension Improvements Project general plan and would authorize land acquisition. This project is considered complimentary to the newly constructed I-70 corridor project (Phase 1) and the I-70 South Outer Road Project-Woodlawn Avenue to Route K (Phase 2).
The project will extend the two-way outer road system, starting at the Woodlawn Avenue overpass and extend west where it will connect into a proposed roundabout located on Veterans Memorial Parkway.
Through a coordinated effort with St. Charles County and the Missouri Department of Transportation, the new roadway would provide motorists an alternate route to access the new I-70 corridor and Route K intersection, bypassing multiple traffic signals.
The city’s 2023 budget includes funds for the land acquisition. The St. Charles County Road Board has agreed to fund 80% of the right-of-way costs, with the city funding 20%.