City to seek federal and county funding for Bridal Road intersection, shared‑use path and Deer Road phase 2

At the Public Works Advisory Committee meeting on March 18, capital improvements manager Chris Clerks outlined the projects the city will pursue for 2026 funding, including federal, county and city matches.

Clerks said the city submitted one TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) application in February for a highway and shared‑use path segment north of Route 364 with limits near Spring Orchard Drive and Meadow Lake Drive. The application asks for a 60/40 federal/city split; staff plan to seek county support at an 80/20 split if the federal award is granted. Clerks estimated the shared‑use path job at about $1.7 million and said the segment would be 10 feet wide within city limits, tying into an existing path at the Conteville city limits.

The Bridal Road at VMP intersection project is a larger reconstruction concept Clerks said would include additional through lanes and dual lefts to address traffic and pavement deterioration; staff estimated that effort at roughly $9 million and indicated county support will be necessary for design and construction funding. West Terrell Lane resurfacing was described as a preservation‑focused resurfacing (mill and fill, restriping and some bike‑lane cleanup), with an estimated cost of about $1.2 million and an expected 50/50 county‑city match for preservation funding. Deer Road reconstruction Phase 2 (extending previously designed work and tying into county Hopewell projects) is planned with design funds already secured and staff seeking utility relocation and construction funding; Clerks gave an estimate around $8.5 million and proposed an 80/20 split with the county for some costs.

Committee members asked about path connections to Highway K, bike‑lane cross‑sections, and economic effects of routing a path to Conteville versus O'Fallon. Clerks said staff will prioritize the immediate section for the current application and reserve longer extensions for future funding cycles once priorities and regional connections are clearer.

Clerks cautioned that several federal applications in the corridor have been denied previously and that county coordination was a key strategy this year. No formal funding decisions were made at the meeting because the committee lacked a quorum.

Next steps: staff will refine applications and pursue county matches where applicable; project details and grant applications will be shared as funding awards are known.