Jefferson City Council to vote on road improvements near high school expansion

The Jefferson City Council is set to vote Monday on a $500,000 agreement with Helias Catholic High School.

The school is in the middle of building a $20 million expansion that includes a large athletic complex set to open next fall.

If approved, the city will reconstruct the 1200 block of Myrtle Avenue to improve sight distance issues.

Right now, a steep hill on the road next to the high school makes it difficult for drivers to see traffic or pedestrians up the road.

“It’s going to be a reconstruction of the street,” said Matt Morasch, the city’s public works director. “So it’s going to take out some sharp curves and hills in the street and kind of filling in some low spots.”

The road is not currently a high-crash area, according to Morasch. But more traffic is expected on Myrtle Avenue with the large expansion.

“With Helias, you know, they’ll be inviting more and more people here to go to these sports facilities … and so just helping traffic flow and curing any future problem that may happen,” Morasch said.

Preliminary plans for the project also include a few pedestrian improvements.

“We are excited about a partnership with city council and the city of Jefferson City to make Myrtle safer for our students including crosswalks and hopefully a box culvert,” said Kenya Fuemmeler, the school’s principal. “Just because of the traffic flow from our school to this athletic complex, we want to ensure that kids are safe.”

In the agreement, Helias will give the city property for future improvements to the intersection at Stadium Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue which may include a new roundabout.

If the council approves the bill, the city will pay for half of the road project through the Capital Improvement Sales Tax. Cole County would pay for the other half.