Poplar Bluff city officials hope to award a contract this week for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Pike Creek on Kanell Boulevard.
The contract will go to the lowest of six bidders after plans are approved by the Missouri Department of Transportation, according to Clark Allen, director of the Poplar Bluff Parks and Recreation Department.
The bridge would be approximately the same height as the crossing used by vehicle traffic, with construction to start in the next two to three weeks.
The project is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 31, said Jeremy Manning, Smith & Co., project manager.
This is part of an ongoing effort to close gaps in the city's trail system, Allen said.
"This extension essentially puts us in a position to where we're connecting neighborhoods," said Allen. "This links up to the next section, which is unbuilt but approved, and will take us to Lurlyn, one of the main streets in Atkins Subdivision."
The pedestrian bridge takes the Kanell Boulevard trail east, across Pike Creek and to Sunset Drive.
Another 1,200-foot extension will take the trail from Sunset Drive to Lurlyn, Allen explained. This extension is being designed currently. Construction of it is expected to begin in the summer of 2019.
These projects have received funding assistance from state and federal sources.
The bridge is expected to cost just over $336,000, with a low bid submitted by Joe's Bridge and Grading of Poplar Bluff. The bid was discussed and approved last week by the Poplar Bluff City Council.
Money from the state's alternative transportation fund will help pay for the bridge project. These dollars pass through from the federal highway department.
The next trail extension will receive partial funding from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Park department costs will be less than $150,000 combined for the two projects, Allen said.