Pedestrian Walkway Now Not Likely Due To Steel Situation

There will be no pedestrian walkway spanning Progress Parkway anytime soon.
The County Commission’s goal of building a pedestrian bridge to link the Ste. Genevieve County Community Center’s main campus with the River Rapids Waterpark seems to be dead in the water for now.
With the west side of Progress Parkway — site of the Community Center and the Progress Sports Complex — at an elevation about 20 feet higher than the east side, some type of accessibility feature had to be added for the walkway to meet the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations.
It was determined that about 150 to 200 feet of ramp would be needed if a wheelchair ramp were installed, since no more than a 12-degree slope is allowed and level sections must be included at regular intervals.
The commissioners and Jeremy Manning of Smith and Company Engineering contacted the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) about the situation.
Initially, it was agreed that an elevator could solve the problem of ADA compliance.
At first, the main concern was the ongoing maintenance expenses for the elevator.
A problem soon arose, though, concerning the origin of steel used in the elevator.
That problem turned out to be the difference between the Buy American Act and existing “Buy America” statutes.
“That one [letter] ‘n’ really made a difference,” Manning said.
Told by MoDOT that the elevator would have to meet Buy America standards, Manning approached various U.S. elevator companies but could only get vague answers about whether the steel used would be of American origin.

See complete story in the April 29 edition of the Herald.