The city of Warrenton has the beginnings of an outline for installing sidewalks along North Highway 47 after a preliminary study from engineering firm Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT).Officials are seeking the sidewalks to improve pedestrian safety along the highway. Installation along Highway 47 north of Interstate 70 would nearly complete a connection of pedestrian sidewalks from the north end of the city all the way to the south end.An early engineering report from CMT estimates the cost of the north side project at over $1.7 million, with construction to take place in 2021.The report examined the best placement for sidewalks that would only be on one side of the road. Based on the cost of construction and acquiring easements along the roadway, engineers found that a sidewalk should be placed on the west side of the road (next to the southbound lane) between Interstate 70 and Fairgrounds Road.A crosswalk would then take pedestrians across Highway 47 to another sidewalk connecting Fairgrounds Road to Hickory Lick Road at the north end of the city.Existing terrain and other obstructions will affect the exact positioning of the sidewalks relative to the road.“A lot of that is dependent on where existing obstacles and barriers are, where culvert ditches are, where utilities are located,” said City Administrator Terri Thorn. “There’s a lot of different pieces that play into that (location). It certainly will be built so that it utilizes the best locations, as opposed to it always being adjacent to the side of the road.”The city also aims to build the sidewalks while having to obtain the fewest possible number of land use easements, she said.Because Highway 47 is a state road, Warrenton is seeking a cost share grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation that could pay for up to half of the project.The CMT engineering report also included a study of vehicle traffic along North Highway 47, to determine if any kind of traffic control improvements are warranted. Although the study found that no traffic lights are necessary based on MoDOT standards, it said adding turn lanes would improve safety at several intersections. Those include at McGee Avenue, Fairgrounds Road, Ash Road, Columbus Circle and Hickory Lick Road.“Because it is a MoDOT road, any plans, be it for sidewalks or changes to the street, would be something that we would have to partner with MoDOT on to get approval,” Thorn said.The next steps for the project are for CMT to finalize the full version of its engineering study and for Warrenton officials to begin meeting with MoDOT to plan the details of the project and discuss funding, Thorn said. The project will be pushed forward as quickly as possible, she added.“A lot will be dependent on how long it actually takes to obtain the easements that are necessary to get the sidewalks in place,” Thorn explained. She said the city plans to continue funding for the planning stages of the project while waiting for MoDOT’s response about splitting the cost for the construction.

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