Mayor Terry Palmer announced wonderful news at the Steelville City Council meeting on July 19 in reference to the ongoing asphalt-resurfacing project on Main Street. In June, the board of aldermen and mayor discussed spending the $16,000 that was budgeted for asphalt during the resurfacing project to make street improvements. However, those city funds will not be required.

According to the Federal Economic Stimulus Recovery Plan of the Missouri Budget Project, $802.1 million in stimulus money is being dedicated to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). Of that amount, $695.9 million is going towards the maintenance and construction of Missouri roads and bridges.

MoDOT workers hold up traffic while in a work zone on Steelville's Main Street.

“I found out stimulus money is paying for all of the asphalt,” Palmer announced to the board of aldermen. “We may not have to pay for any of it.”

The council had previously decided to use part of their budget to widen the shoulder on Highway 19 from the three-way stop to Dollar General. However, that resurfacing has been completed and also paid for by the state, thanks to the federal stimulus money.

According to Alderman Charles Chipman, the city was bid $200,000 to transform that part of Highway 19 into a sidewalk, so that the walking community of Steelville had a safer place to walk.

“There’s a child who pushes his wheelchair on the highway, we have a lady who pushes her child, and the others who walk,” said Kathy McCann, chairperson of the Planning and Zoning Committee. “I’m very thankful that we have that.”

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, all of the resurfacing will be finished by the end of this week. Painting and striping will start some time next week, as long as the weather cooperates. All of the striping on Highway 19 will be completed and paid for with stimulus money, but the parking spaces along Main Street will have to be striped and paid for by the city.

Because the city has saved thousands of dollars with the help of the Economic Recovery Stimulus Plan, the board of aldermen and the mayor plan to use their asphalt budget to repair and improve Hickory Street. City workers recently added a much-needed drainage system, unearthing parts of Hickory Street. “We need to look at asphalting where the road was pulled up and at the railroad tracks,” Palmer explained to the council. “It needs to be leveled out. It’s really hard on vehicles.”

The council approved the planned improvements on Monday.

“We need to let MODOT know that we appreciate what they have done for us,” suggested Chipman. “We really lucked in.”