Construction continues along the Grant Avenue Parkway as crews are expanding work north of Grand Street and into the West Central neighborhood. Utility work is currently ongoing between Grand and State Streets with traffic limited to one-way southbound only. Northbound traffic is advised to follow the posted detours generally utilizing Campbell Avenue.
Work in the south portion of the route, between Sunshine Street and Ildereen Street is nearing completion and the reopening of Grant Avenue to two-way traffic in this segment is anticipated for summer. Below are is a list of helpful FAQs about the parkway’s construction.
Q: When will construction be completed in the various sections of the parkway?
The right-of-way acquisition process makes it difficult to give specific timelines for this project. The completion of construction in each section is dependent on the completion of the right-of-way acquisition for that section. The City’s construction contractor is working diligently within existing right-of-way and already acquired right-of-way in each section to complete the work. With that, the following is timeline information we can provide:
Section 1 (Ildereen to Meadowmere) – Transportation improvements are complete. Utility change-overs from above ground to underground lines and landscaping are still yet to come.
Section 2 (Sunshine to Ildereen) – The multi-use path on the east side, new pavement, sidewalk on the west side, curb and gutter, and driveways are almost all constructed from University to Ildereen. Utility relocations are still ongoing. Sunshine Street to University Street improvements will be completed at a later date once necessary right-of-way is acquired.
Sections 3 & 4 (Catalpa to State) – Utilities within existing right-of-way are being relocated. Right-of-way acquisition is in the beginning stages. Property owners directly impacted by the project along Grant Avenue could receive communication via mail beginning in early summer. Some property owners may not receive letters until later in the summer as right-of-way outreach will be conducted in phases.
Section 5 (State to Walnut) – This section will begin as soon as feasible based on improvements constructed in other sections.
Section 6 (Downtown Loop) – This section is mainly pavement striping other than Mill Street from Main to Campbell. The striping will most likely occur with the other striping near the end of the project. On Mill Street, between Main and Campbell, new pavement has been placed and sidewalk and street lights on the north side will be installed once right-of-way acquisition is complete.
Q: Are there any additional right-of-way or temporary construction easements planned?
A: There are proposed right-of-way and temporary construction easements in each section. The design-build team worked hard to design the Parkway with minimal acquisition needs.
Preliminary concept plans were completed for all the sections, however, right-of-way and temporary construction easements are not fully determined in each section until the final engineering plans are complete for that section.
As right-of-way acquisition and construction are underway in the early sections, the design-build team is working on finalizing right-of-way plans for the next sections. Once plans are finalized with right-of-way and easements determined, then the plans get submitted to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) for approval to begin right-of-way acquisition in that section.
The first step after MoDOT approval to begin is to have a third-party agency complete appraisals on the properties where right-of-way or easements are needed. When appraisals are complete, property owners will be sent offers based on the appraisals for any needed right-of-way/easements. When the property owner and the City have come to an agreement, the contract between the two is executed and the property owner is compensated and the deeds are recorded. Once recorded, all the acquisition information is sent to MoDOT for another approval to then begin construction in that newly acquired area.
It’s important to mention each part of the acquisition process because there are several steps where time to complete those steps could vary greatly based on several factors. This process illustrates why providing a specific timeline for construction in each section is difficult.
Q: Where can I find more information about the project and construction process?
A: Grantavenueparkway.com is a great resource for general construction timeline information. Under the Construction tab, the sections are listed with a brief description of work happening and any known timelines.
The City also encourages residents and property owners to sign up to receive project email updates by filling out the “contact us” form at GrantAvenueParkway.com. The e-blast communicates a variety of information regarding traffic impacts, construction progress and any other important information regarding the project.