Additional lighting, other improvements planned for East Capitol Avenue

Jefferson City leaders are taking another step to improve the blighted East Capitol Avenue Area.

This week, the city council approved a contract for a company to design a street lighting system along the road.

It is part of a larger $1.3 million project to reconstruct Capitol Avenue next spring.

ABC 17 News reported a blight study completed earlier this summer showed overall decline and significant loss in property values in the East Capitol Avenue area.

The study also found curbs and cutters deteriorating along the entire length of East Capitol Avenue from Lafayette to Adams Street.

But that is set to change next spring along with several other improvements planned for the historic road.

“Those plans are going to include the construction of a new curb and gutter along the street and the construction of new sidewalks,” Jefferson City Engineer David Bange said. “There’s also going to be some pedestrian improvements.”

Bange said the city will put in more defined crosswalks and an improved bus stop.

But right now, streets lights are few and far between for pedestrians along East Capitol Avenue.

“As we try to improve the pedestrian accommodations, an adequate level of lighting we think is very important,” Bange said.

There will be about six lights per block on each side of the road from Lafayette to Adams, according to Bange.

Bange estimated the additional lights would cost the city about $5,000 each, or $180,000 total.

The company contracted to look at installing additional lights along East Capitol Avenue is also looking at putting in electrical connections in the downtown area for outdoor events like Salute to America and Thursday Night Live.

It will also look at providing backup electrical power to city hall.