Mexico’s stormwater improvement projects have been in the works for more than four years, but the end is finally near. 

The city of Mexico was approved for grants from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as part of the American Rescue Plan Act — one offering a 21% match and another offering a $1 match — to cover a broad scope including stormwater infrastructure improvements.

Ultimately, the cost of all projects exceeded the grant funding, but Drew Williford, Mexico deputy city manager, said the improvements were worth it.

“We still end up with a fantastic use of city funds,” he said. “We ended up leveraging around $1 million of city funding, maybe a little less than that, and we got nearly $7 million worth of work completed.”

In addition to resurfacing several roads, including Curtis, Kentucky and West Jackson streets, the projects also improved a number of local neighborhoods. Williford points to the newly constructed sidewalk between Mexico High School and Hawthorne Elementary School as a primary example.

“We’ve had calls about students walking to school along that road before the sidewalks,” he said. “Now we’ve provided at least a safe walking path for those students from end to end.”

Another neighborhood improvement was the removal of ditches that Williford said were causing both residents and city staff problems when it came to maintenance. 

“We’ve been able to replace that with an underground storm sewer pipe and then curb and gutter,” he said. “That’s much easier to maintain, much easier to mow, and all those things provide a nice-looking front yard.”

Resurfaced roads and new sidewalks weren’t the only improvements made possible by grant funding. The city was also able to replace and improve aging culverts with the grant funding. One of the city’s biggest culvert projects was at the Teal Lake access road, where a collapsed culvert posed a safety hazard and no one could safely drive over it.

“That was the only access to the dam, which is the largest dam in Mexico for Teal Lake,” Williford said. “Now that’s all been restored, and we can easily access that location for inspections, maintenance and other work.”

While the culvert at Fairground Street was being addressed, the city took the opportunity to deepen Lakeview Lake on the west end and improve the shoreline — a project Williford was also pleased to see complete.

“Once we have some more rain, I think everyone will be far happier with that lake,” he said. “I think that’s going to turn out really well for the community.”

The work is 99% done, according to Williford. Restoration work still needs to be completed at Curtis, Love and Abat streets, and additional drainage work is needed at the intersection of Curtis and Kentucky streets. 

“These projects would not have happened at all if we did not have the grant money for it, so I’m glad we did it,” Williford said. “They look good, they will function well once complete, and I think we’ve provided something that the residents will come to really enjoy.”

Throughout Williford’s 16-year career, he has never managed a project to this scale, and he learned a lot throughout the process. 

“Taking a little bit more time to manage that work ahead of time, making sure you catch issues ahead of time and spending a little extra time now managing it will save a lot of extra time and headache later,” he said. 

Going forward, Williford will be primarily focused on managing projects like phase 2 of the Audrain Medical Center demolition project and ADA improvements to the sidewalks along Muldrow and Morris streets.