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Tuesday night the Hannibal City Council approved a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement  with Bleigh Construction for the reconstruction of Stardust Drive from Head Lane to Rosewood Drive.

Thanks to a half-cent sales tax renewed by voters last April, it's set to be constructed and completed *this* year.

You'll remember this section of road has been a problem area for several years with a multitude of potholes.  Those huge potholes have cause problems for vehicles and drivers.

The re-construction of Stardust is the first of many projects to come from the city's renewed 1/2 cent sales tax. The tax generates one point three million dollars a year for city street projects and road maintenance. In the past, the city could only finish one project annually. But since leveraging the funds with bonds, the city can meet transportation needs sooner rather than later.

And crews are beginning the process with Stardust, a pothole paradise on the City's West side. Last spring potholes were more than 2 feet across in some places.  Since then crews have patched up the roadway as best as they could.

Mark Rees is Hannibal's City Engineer.

Rees said, "Stardust is a collector road for the city of Hannibal and was dilapidated due to years of service and a little bit due to lack of maintenance."

Reconstruction of the street will cost the city $643,953.05. That includes a solution to the street's constant water problem due to the lack of drainage.

Rees said, "In conjunction with the reconstruction, we will be putting in new inlets and new drainage from the existing street helping keep water off the pavement, transporting it to the creek where it belongs."

Construction should begin in March and last at least 3 months. But that's not the end of Stardust. City officials will design an extension to Veterans Road in 2010 with construction beginning in 2011.

Other projects the city of Hannibal is working on this year include the design phases for West Ely and the downtown resurfacing. Hannibal city Engineer Mark Rees says more maintenance is needed to make these projects last longer.