During this week's Butler city council meeting it was announced that a long awaited project that will allow for safer foot traffic along west 52 highway/Fort Scott street in Butler is officially underway. The first phase of engineering for a new sidewalk is in the works that will run on the south side of the roadway and will extend from Fran Avenue east to the Family Center parking lot.
This first phase comes at a cost of $570,000 to which the city will have to kick in just 20% thanks to a TAP grant. Upon completion (date is yet to be released) phase two will begin however 'a fork in the road' has been encountered regarding the railroad overpass as it will require cooperation not only with the city of Butler, but MoDot and the railroad, Union Pacific, as well.
According the Ward 3 councilwoman Fran Alkire, who attended a special meeting with the Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission recently, the overpass overhaul is funded and although MoDot is on board with plans, the stalemate appears to be with the railroad who keeps pushing the project back; at this point it will be at least two maybe three years before there will be any further action taken on their part, barring some unforeseen miracle.
In defense of Union Pacific railroad, the project will be a costly, time consuming preposition as rail traffic would need to be rerouted or postponed altogether during tearout and reconstruction; as street traffic can easily be rerouted, it obviously isn't that simple for the railroad hence, lots of planning will be needed.
Updates on both projects will be provided accordingly.