Wright City is pushing forward with plans to repair or rebuild a sizable stretch of Westwoods Road. The road has deep ruts, drop offs, drainage issues and deterioration that the city hopes to soon address.

City Administrator Jim Schuchmann said he hopes to see construction on Westwoods Road begin by this summer. The project will rebuild the road starting at the S-curve just west of Wright City High School and going all the way to the North Service Road.

“There’s sections of the road that are in pretty good shape, that just need a little care. And there’s some spots that need a lot of care,” Schuchmann commented.

Bid documents for the project are being sent out to potential contractors this week. Bids will be accepted until April 15, after which the Wright City Board of Alderman will choose a contractor for the project.

Wright City has been preparing for the Westwoods project since at least 2019. But the need for construction easements from property owners affected by the project has been a stumbling block to starting construction. 

Almost a year ago, Schuchmann explained that project plans had stalled because of few homeowners who hadn’t responded to easement requests. The city was about to begin more direct contact attempts when the COVID pandemic hit, and that didn’t seem like the right time to be making door-to-door visits, Schuchmann said.

Several of those homeowners still haven’t been heard from a year later.

“I still have three pieces of property in this project that I cannot make contact on. ... I can’t get a return phone call,” Schuchmann commented. “One of them is a situation where someone is deceased, and I think that’s one where we’re potentially going to have to go to court.”

Alderman Michelle Heiliger asked this month if physical construction would be delayed indefinitely until the easements are acquired.

“It could delay work in certain areas, depending on what it is we’re trying to accomplish,” Schuchmann answered. “But since this (project) is a pretty good stretch of road, I don’t see it being a ‘stop the project altogether’ type of thing. It’s going to be a stumbling block in one particular spot, possibly.”

On March 11, aldermen voted to approve an amended contract with engineering firm George Butler Associates to add an additional stormwater drainage system to the construction plans. The extra engineering will cost about $4,700. Water seeping under the road has been identified as a cause for much of the damage now visible, Schuchmann said.

Schuchmann added that the city is concurrently sending out requests for bids to reconstruct the sidewalk along the North Service Road in front of United Church of Christ. It’s possible one contractor could be awarded both projects, which could save some costs for the city, Schuchmann said.