Eureka officials are searching for new solutions after recently announcing the city cannot afford to replace the closed Allenton Bridge.
The city’s bridge replacement project was put on hold in October due to higher-than-expected construction costs. The project would have widened the two-lane bridge to four lanes and included a pedestrian lane to accommodate more traffic flow.
Ward 2 Alderman Kevin Kilpatrick said on May 6 that city officials have known for a while that the bridge replacement was no longer possible. However, the board didn’t make any announcements because the members wanted to see if Mayor Sean Flower could revive the project.
Kilpatrick also lamented the criticism Flower has received on social media after the city announced that replacing the bridge was not economically feasible after the price ballooned from an estimated $7 million to $18 million.
“I have been hiding behind the mayor this whole time, hoping that he could come up with some solutions, and that’s no longer viable,” Kilpatrick said. “I refuse to stand down any longer and let him take this flak.”
Eureka officials had explored possible solutions, such as building a new bridge on a different section of West Main Street or extending the street down to a Pacific-area crossing. However, the city is now pivoting to new ideas after deeming those solutions too costly.
In a written statement to residents, Flower said Eureka will try to secure state and federal funding to put pressure on the two railroad companies, Union Pacific and BNSF, that pass through the city to repair a section of West Main Street, which serves as the remaining access point to Ashton Woods and Allenton area residents since the bridge closed in December.
Flower also said he will present a plan to the Board of Aldermen for the city to take over Legends Parkway, the main road into the Legends subdivision. If Eureka takes over ownership of the road, it will create a second route in and out of the Ashton Woods subdivision.
Ward 1 Alderman Jerry Diekmann echoed Kilpatrick’s sentiment that Flower and city staff have been unjustly criticized for their handling of the Allenton Bridge project.
“We should have come out three or four months ago and told you it’s not happening,” he said. “This bridge isn’t happening. So, plain and simple, there’s no amount of effort that anybody else on this board can put in more than what (Flower) has put into it and what the city staff has put into it.”
State funding
In his May 9 email statement to residents, Flower said the city and state Rep. Holly Jones attempted to get $10 million in state funding for the bridge replacement project. However, that figure was whittled down to $3 million during budget negotiations in state legislature committees.
On May 9, the House and Senate sent the $53 billion state budget to Gov. Mike Kehoe.
Flower said he would like the city to use the $3 million from the state to remove the bridge and improve West Main Street, if the railroad companies agree to a long-term maintenance agreement for the road. Flower said the railroads own West Main Street, which is in poor condition.
Additionally, the railroad gate crossing, maintained by BNSF, near the Ashton Woods subdivision has recently malfunctioned, leaving residents stuck until a Eureka Police Department officer arrived to wave vehicles through the gates.
Flower showed a video of the incident at the last board meeting, highlighting the need for a secondary access road for the Ashton Woods subdivision and the Allenton area.
“I’ll be honest with you, Burlington is going to crap when they see this (video), because the fact that we’ve got cops standing in the right of way, directing traffic through a guarded crossing without their permission, trying to get people through, is a ridiculous situation,” Flower said. “It’s ridiculous for our insurance. It’s ridiculous, but that’s our situation today.”
Flower added in his written statement that the Police Department is working to put automated external defibrillators and other medical equipment in police vehicles in case Eureka Fire Protection District crews are unable to respond to a scene quickly to provide medical assistance. Eureka Fire trucks and ambulances cannot cross the railroad track when the gate malfunctions, Flower said.
Legends access
Flower said if the board approved taking over Legends Parkway from the Legends homeowner’s association, it would cost approximately $1 million to bring the road up to city standards. He said the project may be funded with Proposition E revenue, state funding or a mixture of both.
Prop E was approved by voters in 2018 to fund public safety-related issues, which included the bridge project. Prop E revenue also was used to build the new government center and floodwalls.
“The existing Allenton area should not have one access point to the highway, especially one that can be shut down by railroad crossings,” Flower said in his statement. “At our next (board) meeting, I will be proposing that the city accept the Legends Parkway from the association, remove the gates, and asphalt the surface so it is consistent with our other city streets. This road would then be a second access point for residents.”
The Board of Aldermen is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at the government center, 120 City Hall Drive.
The city would encourage the Police Department, Eureka Fire, Rockwood School District buses and Meridian Waste trash trucks to use the parkway as their primary access to the area once the road is improved, Flower said. This would pull a lot of heavy traffic from West Main Street, making it “a better ride,” he said.
Rezoning future developments
Flower finished his statement by saying he will propose to the board that the remaining vacant property in Allenton be rezoned from planned commercial to large-lot residential, which is the lowest density allowed for residential areas. The zoning designation allows for about 15 to 18 lots on the property.
The planned commercial zoning is a relic from an abandoned project, which would have constructed a large commercial center in Allenton, anchored by a Home Depot store and homes south of the development. The project never came into fruition due to the 2008 housing crisis, Flower said.
“We do not want to add significant traffic to this area without a bridge, and this zoning change will effectively make that happen,” Flower said.