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'The bridge had to be substantially complete (according to the agreement) by the end of August," Rost said. "We are still on schedule with the whole project."
City officials were informed earlier this year that the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is adopting new standards to be more compliant with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
The new standards were put into effect after work on Church Street was designed and construction began are more restrictive than standards in place when the street was designed.
City Engineer Jonathan Zimmermann said according to new standards, some intersections don't meet ADA requirements. The ADA is inspected and enforced by MoDOT. Plans were approved for the Church Street project in 2007.
The ADA, in part, requires that specific standards be met for better access to sidewalks from the street, he added.
Zimmermann noted that a "mix" of replacing some intersections and improvements along Church Street during future projects, including a Main Street resurfacing project, are required to become compliant with the federal law.
He said that work was delayed slightly because MoDOT employees still are being trained in the new ADA standards.
Zimmermann said there will be minor financial impacts due to the new standards for both the city and the contractor.
The initial scope of the project included sidewalk repairs that later came into question due to increased construction costs. Stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provided enough funding for the sidewalk work.
The total project is estimated to cost $1.2 million. There is a 20 percent local match of $240,000 and a federal match of $970,000.
The $207,932 in stimulus funding allocated to Union will be used to fund pedestrian walkways along Church Street, between Highway 50 and Independence Drive.
The total Church Street project did not qualify for the stimulus funds because it already is scheduled through the Surface Transportation Program (STP) with a 20 percent local match.
Plans call for resurfacing of the street from Independence Drive to Highway 50, plus construction of sidewalks and bike paths. The length of the project is 1.2 miles.
The bridge over Flat Creek, that is 90 years old and has a 30.3 percent sufficiency rating, already has been replaced. It was last inspected in March 2007. Prior to that inspection, the bridge received a 47.5 percent sufficiency rating in 2003.
Other Projects
Slated to begin next year is a 80-20 cost-share project to install 10,600 feet of sidewalk along Independence Drive. The walkway will extend from Washington Avenue south to Highway 50. The estimated cost is $345,000 and the local match will be approximately $69,000.
Once the Independence Drive sidewalk is complete it will be a portion of a several mile-long loop of sidewalks and walkways that also include Washington Avenue and future plans to Main Street.
Planning is under way for the Park Avenue bridge replacement. The bridge is in the worst condition of any bridge in the city limits. It is estimated that project will cost about $500,000 to replace the bridge that is located near the city's Splash-N-Swimplex.
A Main Street project is scheduled for 2010-11 and also will be funded as a 80-20 cost-share project. The estimated $1.23 million project is expected to cost $245,000 locally and $980,000 at the federal level.
The city hired Cochran Engineering to seek a federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) grant. The grant will fund renovations to 2.2 miles of Main Street from Highway 47 to Springfield Avenue.
The scope of the project includes a 2-inch asphalt overlay, concrete base repairs, new sidewalks, bike path striping, signage and traffic signal improvements.
Cochran officials noted that sidewalks on Main Street do not meet Americans With Disabilities Act requirements and also are tripping hazards; the plan is consistent with the long-range city plans and the pavement is in need of repair.
