O'Fallon Prepares for Road Construction Projects

As the weather warms up, O’Fallon street repair crews are getting ready to spread orange cones and break asphalt on road construction projects slated to begin this spring or later. Following is an update on six projects in the city.

Crusher Drive Extension

Construction on the $1.3-million project is scheduled to start in 2012. It will extend Crusher Drive and the sidewalk from behind the Auto Mall towards Technology Drive. The road will reconnect near Tee Kay Drive.

The sidewalk also will be extended.

The St. Charles County Road Board will contribute $1.1 million and O’Fallon will provide $198,000 in funding for project, which includes design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction.

“I would expect minor traffic disruptions at the beginning and ending of the project to tie the new roadway into the existing roadways,” said Tom Drabelle, a spokesman for O’Fallon.

Elaine Drive

The project will add center turn lanes, sidewalks, and enclosed drainage to Elaine Drive from West Terra to Railroad tracks. This project almost entirely funded by the St. Charles County Road Board.

Design work hasn’t begun and construction has not been scheduled, Drabelle said.

Guthrie Road Phase 2

The $10.4-million project was substantially completed in January, but minor items still need to be completed, and it may take until the end of March, depending on the weather. The project extended Guthrie Road’s first phase to north of Brushy Brook Drive.

Mexico Road was relocated to tie into the new alignment of Guthrie Road at Burning Brook Drive. Traffic has been using the new overpass and re-aligned roads since October.

Funding for the project included

* St. Charles County Road Board - $2.4 million

* Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) - $2 million

* Developer (right-of-way purchase) - $2.5 million

* O’Fallon - $1,371,626

* East-West Gateway (federal funds) - $800,000

* Norfolk-Southern Railroad - $326,190

East-West Gateway also contributed $1 million in federal funds for phase 1 of the project.

Laura Hill-Feise Turn Lanes

The project would add dual left turn lanes at the Laura Hill Road and Feise Road intersection. Construction will be funded by $213,000 from the county Road Board fund and $240,000 in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds. The city is contributing $57,000 for the project.

Construction is scheduled to start in late February or early March and finish by late May 2011.

Drabelle said motorists will see some delays as certain components are constructed.

“The contractor has said he does not anticipate overnight lane blocks or blocks during peak rush hour traffic. Public should just be aware of traffic shifts during days of concrete pours and traffic signal modification,” Drabelle wrote in an e-mail. “However being a short project schedule, inconveniences should be minor.”

West Terra Phase 1 and 2

The city plans to resurface and widen West Terra from North Central to Hoff Road and add five-foot-wide shoulders and a bicycle path on both sides of the road. Some turn lanes will be added.

The St. Charles County Road Board will fund 90 percent of the project, and the city will be responsible for 10 percent.

Construction will start in April and is scheduled for 210 calendar days. 

Drabelle said the contractor will be paid an early completion incentive of $1,100 per day for each day the project is completed ahead of schedule up to a maximum of $66,000.

Two-way traffic will be maintained throughout the project, he said.

“The first stage calls for some temporary pavement to be placed and traffic to be shifted to the south while the north side of the road is widened.” Drabelle said. “Stage two shifts traffic on to the new widening on the north side while the south side of the road is built.”

Motorists likely want to seek alternate routes if possible, but the city can adjust contractor work hours if traffic is greatly hindered, he said.

West Terra Phase 3

As with the first two phases, phase 3 will resurface and widen West Terra, add five-foot shoulders and a bike path on both sides of the road. The project will extend from Hoff to Guthrie roads.

 “Right now, MoDOT is reviewing the design agreement to make sure the proper steps were taken. I would expect to hear something from MoDOT next week,” Drabelle said. “Once MoDOT approves the agreement, design will start.”

The 1.016 million for project design and construction won’t be available until 2013, so construction will begin in Spring 2013.