A city trail project to connect McLane Park and Shelby Road is expected to finish under budget.
The majority of work is complete, with about $44,000 left from the original $563,400 budget, the Poplar Bluff City Council learned Monday.
This connection allows runners, bikers and pedestrians to travel safely between two popular trails, according to Clark Allen, park department director.
A way to move beyond McLane Park without walking on Highway W was a frequent request from users, Allen said.
The park department was able to complete the project for just over $519,000, with 71 percent of it funded by a transportation alternatives grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation. The remaining 29 percent, about $150,500, was paid for with park department money.
"This links us in a way that allows us to extend the trail network," Allen said.
Without the three-quarters of a mile link, trail users were left on the shoulders of Shelby Road and Highway W, Allen said.
This project is part of a larger effort by the park department to connect the majority of its parks through trails and sidewalks.
"The closer people are to active outlets, the closer to home they are, the more likely they are to use them," Allen said.
The project included change orders of approximately $60,000.
The majority of this, just over $45,000, paid to relocate and redesign a portion of the trail north of Hawthorne Circle through a more wooded area, said Bob Summers of Horner & Shifrin engineering firm.
"This was made possible by the substantial project funding underruns from the original bidding, which left over $100,000 excess in the project budget," he said.
Other changes improved the durability of a concrete slope, added paint striping to improve safety of trail users and allowed for a time extension. Design changes delayed the start of construction by approximately one month, Summers said.
The only remaining work to be completed is some grass seeding and landscaping, Allen said.
In other business, the council moved the following matters to the Aug. 7 voting session:
* A request for drive-thru lanes at 2910 Barron Road by First Missouri State Bank.
* Changes to a personnel policy regarding residency.