City promises to match federal funds for road improvements to Springfield Underground entrance

Andrew Sullender
Springfield News-Leader
City Council on Monday voted to match the funds if the city is awarded a grant to make improvements to Le Compte Road near the Springfield Underground entrance.

In their effort to obtain a $1.5 million federal grant for Le Compte Road improvements, Springfield's city council voted Monday to match that amount if awarded the grant.

According to city staff, the improvements are needed to accommodate the many trucks that drive along the "old country road" to reach Springfield Underground's subterranean storage.

"Le Compte Road serves as one of the main thoroughfares for the industrial, manufacturing, and warehousing land uses east of U.S. 65. The roadway is not currently designed to accommodate the volume of truck traffic that exists on it today, nor expected to accommodate in the future," reads the council bill about the project.

If awarded to the city, the grant would fund the reconstruction of Le Compte Road from the existing alignment at the BNSF Railroad to the Springfield Underground entrance and widen existing Le Compte Road from Springfield Underground entrance to Division Street. Additional improvements will be made at the Le Compte Road and Division Street intersection as well as turn lane improvements on Division Street. 

The city applied for the $1.5 million Economic Development Administration grant last June. According to city Director of Public Works Dan Smith, the EDA said Springfield's application has "merit," But the city needs to promise to match funds with the grant through the resolution passed Monday night.

"This resolution just shows the commitment of the city to provide the matching funds should they award the grant to the city. And so we're hopeful that with this additional information that our application will be considered favorably and we'll hear back in the near future," Smith said to the councilmembers.

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The unanimously passed resolution obligates the city to spend $1,566,698 on the project if the city is awarded the grant. City money would come out of funds previously allocated toward transportation, out of Springfield's 1/8-cent Transportation Sales Tax.

Costs associated with the project above the grant funding amount will be covered by a future cost share agreement between the Erlen Group, which owns the Springfield Underground, and the city.

Councilman Matthew Simpson said the infrastructure investments would "pay huge dividends for our community."

That sentiment was echoed by SMC Packaging Group CEO Kevin Ausburn, whose business would benefit from the public improvements.

"These road improvements are a necessary step to ensure future development in Springfield. Infrastructure requirements are a major barrier to good pieces of property in the community remaining undeveloped," he said.

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According to Ausburn, his business has more than 100 tractor trailer units coming and going from their property each day.

"I drive that stretch every day, multiple times some days. And it's really not up to par for handling the kind of traffic that it does right now. The shoulder on the road is about three feet wide — if you can call it a shoulder, it's just loose gravel..." he noted.

"I've seen a number of instances where trucks are trying to turn ... and traffic has to back up at that intersection to allow the truck sufficient room to make the turn. So it's really an unsafe situation."