Thanks to Clothesline Laundromat and Southview Animal Hospital for their support.
The City of West St. Paul plans to fill a sidewalk gap and make walking to local schools safer. The three-quarters of a mile gap exists along Bidwell Street between Butler and Thompson. The project directly connects to Heritage E-STEM Magnet School and near Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School, making it eligible for Safe Routes to School funding.
The project will add a five-foot sidewalk on the east side of Bidwell Street between Butler and Thompson. The street will be narrowed and parking removed on the east side to accommodate the sidewalk and minimize impacts on residential property.
Unlike other sidewalk projects, residents will not be responsible for snow removal. The city will handle snow removal, a requirement for Safe Routes to School funding. Since it’s only a sidewalk project and doesn’t involve street repair, residents will not be assessed for the project.
The total project cost is $848,000, with $640,000 in federal funding and the remaining $208,000 from West St. Paul. The project moved forward after Met Council approval last year paved the way for federal funding. Construction is planned for the spring and summer of 2023.
This is a separate Bidwell sidewalk project than the one between Marie and Crusader that drew opposition from neighbors last year.
There will be an open house for the project on Wednesday, February 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Heritage to share details and answer questions. More information on the project is available from the city.
West St. Paul Reader 