In recent months, Warrenton residents may have noticed work crews on two of the city’s busiest streets repaving sidewalks. Now one of those projects is nearly completed, and another is expected to be finished by the end of this year. 

Earlier this year the city approved two contracts with S&A Equipment and Builders to repave the sidewalk along W Veterans Memorial Parkway through a Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) Grant; that project is effectively finished. 

TAP Grants are awarded to municipalities and used for transportation enhancements, recreational trails, safe routes to school and scenic byways according to the MoDOT website. TAP Grants also allow the state to cover up to 80% of costs associated with the projects. In Warrenton’s case the project was divided across two contracts with S&A, the first for $284,234 with the state covering 80 percent of costs and the second for $392,567 with the state covering 70 percent of that cost.

“(VMP) is substantially complete, we just have to do the final inspections with MoDOT,” said Warrenton Director of Operations John Struckhoff. 

That project was completed well ahead of its required deadline in early October. 

There has also been significant construction work on Booneslick Road in downtown Warrenton, where crews have been working to repave and improve the sidewalks. 

“The sidewalks downtown have started to age, they’ve started to crack and heave,” said Struckhoff. “We’re taking out the old stuff to make it safer for pedestrian traffic.”

The project is being contracted through TS Banze Construction Services for $346,031 to repave the sidewalks on Booneslick from Thurman Street to Southeast Street, outside of portions of the north side of the street that have already been repaved. 

Struckhoff said that Banze’s crews have already completed a couple portions on the east side of the road and are currently working on a section in front of Friedens Church. They are expected to complete that section and one more before they freeze construction for the Warrenton Fall Festival on Sept. 21. 

“I would expect they’re gonna do the section they’re on right now and then one more before Fall Festival,” said Struckhoff. 

According to Struckhoff, their next section should run on the sidewalks from Friedens Church to Dryden Street. 

It was always part of the plan for the project to freeze construction wherever they were so they did not interfere with Warrenton’s annual event. Struckhoff said they are still expected to complete the project before the end of the year when they resume construction.