In a report to the Covington City Council Tuesday night, city engineer Tom Schreiner gave a update on several infrastructure projects in the city, including the SCADA lift station monitoring system, street overlay projects and the state of subdivisions around the city.

Several projects around the city are in the hands of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development including the next phase of Louisiana Highway 21 widening. The road will be four lanes wide with a turning lane from U. S. Interstate 12 to Eleventh Street by the St. Tammany Parish Hospital including a widening of the bridge into Covington to four lanes.

Schreiner said a traffic circle, or roundabout considered for Eighth and Tyler Streets has been found to be a feasible idea and would solve many traffic problems. No timetable has been set for the next phases of the project that is nearing completion by I-12.

Schreiner also said the extension of the sidewalk near Pine View Middle School is also under the auspices of the DOTD.

Street overlays are once again part of the budget for next year, with needed drainage improvements to be completed before the overlays. The priority list of streets that be impacted is being made by the city council.

How many streets will receive overlays this year will be determined by the bids that are received.

The drainage and lift station repairs by NAPA Auto Parts to Rutland are being studied now and the bidding process will begin in early November. It will take about three months to complete the project.

Not far away from that project is a sewer lift project to be done at Claiborne Hill on the west side of U. S. Highway 190 for the 18 Eighteen, LLC project. The developer is contributing to the cost of the project.

On New Hampshire Street, four lift stations are being cleared and repaired and the project should be finished in April.

The design phase for the SCADA monitoring system is almost finished. Schreiner said he estimates the bids to install the system will opened in January with the project completed in July 2010.

The Square 1907 development on Tyler and Nineteenth Streets has still not begun construction while the foundation dirt is piling up and now has grass growing on it. The original plan for the property included three 3-storyr buildings, which were lowered to 2-story buildings last March. The developer is now asking for single story buildings.

Council President Trey Blackall said that a work session is needed with the developers to determine what the revised plan involves.

The council voted unanimously to pass a resolution acknowledging that they support the use of state contracts.

Councilman Lee Alexius said that he is concerned that for the Board of Adjustments, two people end up deciding matters that can have far-reaching implications because only three of five board members attend the meeting.