The city of Washington is close to seeking bids to add landscape median enhancements along a section of Highway 100.
City Engineer Dan Boyce said a draft bid package is under review by Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) officials.
When the initial proposal outlining plans, specifications and cost estimates is returned the city will address any comments from MoDOT and submit a final proposal back to the state agency.
Boyce said the “target” date to begin advertising for bids is around the first week of July.
A contract for the work must be signed by Aug. 31, under the terms of a federal transportation grant approved for the project.
Construction would be done in the fall.
The project includes adding median landscaping along certain sections of Highway 100 between Highway 47 and East Fifth Street/South Point Road as well as additional signage and bike path markings and possibly irrigation work.
The preliminary concept of the project includes at least three landscaped median strips with an option to extend one of the strips and another option to add a fourth.
Boyce said the entire project, including the alternate areas, will be included in the bid package.
The areas where proposed medians with plantings are proposed include:
• Far West — from a point west of the JCPenney store for about 750 feet to Washington Heights Drive;
• West — from a point east of Washington Heights Drive for less than 300 feet to Camp Street;
• East — from a point east of the Wal-Mart SuperCenter entrance for about 460 feet;
• Option 1 — a 700-foot extension of the east area to near International Avenue/Rabbit Trail Drive; and
• Option 2 — from a point east of International/Rabbit Trail for about 1,080 feet to west of Brookview Avenue and the entrance to Phoenix Center II.
Preliminary plans call for most of the landscaped medians to be planted with native wildflowers and grasses that can grow from 1.5 to 3 feet tall. There also are areas where 3- to 5-foot-tall shrubs will be planted.
Plans also include four maple trees that can grow up to 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide just to the east of the Wal-Mart entrance. The city was awarded a $604,823 grant for the project and the city match is $151,206 in local funds.
The council unanimously approved a $69,815.59 contract with consultant, Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc., (CMT) to design the enhancements.
