Warrenton city leaders want answers about when the contractor hired to build a sidewalk along North Highway 47 will finish the work, and when parts of the new sidewalk already damaged by stormwater will be repaired.

Nearly a year ago, contractor R.L. Persons Construction was hired on a $1.7 million contract to build a sidewalk from the I-70 North Outer Road to Hickory Lick Road at the north end of Warrenton. Work began in the summer and continued through December.

Late in 2021, the city learned that several delays had pushed the project into winter, causing work to stop because of winter weather. Now, city Director of Operations Jon Struckhoff said the city has been getting no answer on when the work will resume.

Struckhoff gave an update on the sidewalk project during the April 5 Warrenton Board of Aldermen meeting. He said despite recent outreach, the contractor hadn’t provided a date for getting back to work.

“And of course, they can’t give us a completion date,” Struckhoff added.

He said the engineering firm for the project, Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT), is acting on behalf of the city to put pressure on R.L. Persons to deliver information about when the project will be complete. CMT is employed by the city to oversee the sidewalk project and ensure the work is being done to specifications.

If the contractor doesn’t provide the information that the city is demanding, Struckhoff said the city government would begin assessing financial penalties. CMT and the city gave R.L. Persons until April 15 to provide the information, Struckhoff said.

Ward 2 Alderman Scott Schulze pointed out that a lack of information isn’t the only problem with the project. Several areas of the newly built sidewalk have been washed out, leading Schulze to question whether the contractor would be forced to correct the damage.

Struckhoff replied that yes, the contractor is required to fix that damage.

“Some of the washout spots are bad enough that they’re actually going to have to take the concrete out, repack it down, and repour the concrete. That cannot be our burden. That’s not our fault that washed out like that,” Struckhoff said.

Because the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is paying for half the cost of the sidewalk project, Struckhoff said the state agency’s representatives are also being kept updated about the project. He commented that one of MoDOT’s policies kept the city from threatening any financial penalties against the contractor over the winter months, but that prohibition ended in March.