The city of Warrenton has hired engineering firm Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT) to come up with a preliminary plan for installing a sidewalk along North Highway 47.Officials said the project will improve safety for pedestrians and vehicles in the north half of the city.An agreement with CMT approved Feb. 6 states that the city will pay up to $99,845 for a study that will lay the groundwork for sidewalk construction, as well as potential improvements to the roadway.Highway 47 narrows to one lane in each direction north of the commercial area along Interstate 70. There are no sidewalks for pedestrians who walk along the road, leading to frequent complaints about near misses with drivers.City officials and representatives of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) have been discussing potential improvements to North Highway 47 for several years. Highway 47 is a state road controlled by MoDOT, but Alderman Gary Auch said it’s time to take charge of the project locally.“We want to work with MoDOT everywhere we can, but the reality, I think, based on comments made, is that if we’re going to do this and do it successfully, in my mind it has to be totally a local project,” Auch said. “There’s sufficient community support to say ‘Let’s just fix it and get it over with.’ ”To that end, aldermen suggested other sidewalk projects around the city might have to be put on hold for several years while Highway 47 is taken care of.The city also is reallocating $90,000 from a potential real estate purchase to cover most of the cost of the engineering study.The scope of the study will start with data collection about traffic and property ownership between I-70 and Hickory Lick Road at the north edge of the city.Information about the number of vehicles that travel that stretch of road, as well as the location and frequency of crashes, will be used to make recommendations for whether the road needs traffic signals or needs to be widened with a turn lane in certain areas.CMT also will determine the best place to locate a sidewalk relative to the road, based on a study of what easements the city would need to acquire.The current MoDOT right of way isn’t wide enough for a sidewalk, officials said, meaning the city would have to acquire new easements for some or all of the route.Using all that information, CMT will develop preliminary plans and cost estimates for a sidewalk and other recommended road improvements.The contract with CMT also includes other consulting services for the project, including assistance in applying for cost-share grants from MoDOT.No time frame was given for how long it might take to complete the full study. After that, it isn’t clear when actual construction would begin.CMT is the same engineering firm Warrenton used in planning the construction of a new I-70 interchange on the west side of the city. Officials said they wanted to use CMT again because the firm has a good working relationship with MoDOT that was helpful in speeding up the interchange project.

An engineering firm will develop preliminary plans for a sidewalk between Interstate 70 and Hickory Lick Road in Warrenton.