Mt. Pleasant winding up street construction projects for 2020

MT. PLEASANT - The city of Mt. Pleasant is finishing its final leg of construction projects for the year.

The city currently has three ongoing projects: the Monroe-Adam Street project on the east side of the downtown square; Phase 6 of the Jefferson Street Trail Connection; and the airport runway project.

City Administrator Brent Schleisman said the airport project will be completed this week. The city completely redid the 4,000-foot runway, a $4.5 million project. The Monroe-Adam Street project will be wrapped up in the next several weeks and the Jefferson Street Trail Connection, which spans just over a mile from Saunders Park to the Mt. Pleasant Family Aquatic Center, is expected to finish mid-October.

'They're doing grating and rocking for the trail right now,” Schleisman said.

The city will look to take bids for the North Lincoln and Taft Street reconstruction project, a late addition to the city's plans, which could potentially start in the fall or next spring, depending on weather.

Looking to next year, the city is in the middle of the design phase for the East Monroe and Haynes Street project, which will renovate 1,200 feet of the road going east from Haynes. The city is planning to renovate the last block and a half of the entrance into downtown from West Monroe through White Street.

'Infrastructure is one of the mean things the city does. We need good roads, sewer lines, water lines. The current council believes that is what we should be doing. We've spent a tremendous amount of money on the projects,” Schleisman said.

The city has been focused on infrastructure projects for the last 20 years and has spent approximately $1.5 to $2 million a year on improvement projects, Schleisman said. The city administrator added the city operates on five-year plans that allots an equal amount of funding for projects each year. In total, this current year's projects were 'up near the $6 million mark” with the airport runway project.

'It's no fun while we're doing it, but everybody loves to travel on smooth roads. It's improved aesthetics for the community and the feedback we get is very positive. After we're done with the projects, people can see where their tax dollars are going,” Schleisman said.