Sidewalks to be built on east side of 116th
September 2, 2010
By Tim Pfarr
The city will build sidewalks on the east side of 116th Avenue Southeast from Southeast 84th Street to Southeast 88th Street.
Director of Community Development Steve Roberge said the construction would likely take less than two months and be done next spring.
. The city will build sidewalks along the eastside of 116th Avenue Southeast from Southeast 84th Street to Southeast 88th Street. By Gray & Osborne Inc
There are no sidewalks between Southeast 80th Street and Southeast 88th Street along 116th Avenue Southeast, which raised safety concerns, as children frequently walk along the street to Hazelwood Elementary School.
“It is a dangerous street,” Councilman Bill Erxleben said. “It’s a safety issue and we need to do something.”
Contract City Engineer Roger Kuykendall presented three sidewalk designs to the City Council at its Aug. 17 meeting. For the stretch of road from Southeast 84th Street to Southeast 88th Street, the council chose a design option that calls for concrete sidewalks, curbs, gutters, driveway ramps and pedestrian ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The design also calls for enhancements to storm water drainage, minor landscape improvements, retaining walls and a 12- to 15-foot driving lane. It will not have a bike lane, but the wide driving lanes — one to four feet wider than most — will give some room to bikers.
The stretch of sidewalks will cost about $420,000, and the city has $300,000 budgeted for the project this year. The council has not decided how it will fund the remaining $120,000.
“This is infinitely safer than it was before,” Councilman Rich Crispo said about the selected design.
The other options Kuykendall presented were a more sophisticated, more expensive design, and a cheaper, simpler design.
Sidewalks are also scheduled to be installed from Southeast 80th Street to Southeast 84th Street as well, and Roberge said those sidewalks would most likely be constructed in 2012.
In addition to concrete sidewalks, curbs, gutters, driveway ramps and ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps, those sidewalks will have a 5-foot planting strip between the sidewalk and the road, a 5-foot bike lane and a 12-foot driving lane.
That portion of the project will cost about $500,000, but the city is seeking a $540,000 grant from the Safe Routes to School program to help fund it. Grant recipients will be announced next summer.
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