A significant sewer repair contract was awarded by the Fort Dodge City Council on Monday.

The council also prepared for a handful of future projects by hiring engineering firms to produce the necessary plans.

The council hired Municipal Pipe Tool Co. LLC, of Hudson, to perform various sanitary sewer repairs throughout the city at a cost of $1,371,622.30.

The work will include relining some sewers, digging up others so that they can be replaced, and rehabilitating manholes.

Other bidders included Visu-Sewer Inc., Mason City, $1,441,868.85; and Hydro-Klean Inc., Des Moines, $2,625,164.94.

Also on Monday, the council hired McClure Engineering Co. Inc., of Fort Dodge, to design a new trail section extending along South 32nd Street and 15th Avenue South at a cost of $167,500.

That same company was hired to design a new trail connection that will extend south from the intersection of 25th Avenue North and North 25th Street at a cost of $23,960.

Snyder & Associates Inc., of Ankeny, was hired to prepare an application for a state grant that, if received, could help pay for changing the intersection of Central Avenue and 15th Street.

As recently as 2014, that intersection was the site of the highest number of crashes in the city. Statistics available then showed 40 crashes at the intersection between 2008 and 2012. Updated statistics were not readily available Monday.

In 2014, then-Police Chief Kevin Doty attributed the high number of crashes to the number of drivers making left turns without the protection of a traffic signal with a green arrow.

The proposal for improving the intersection includes installing new traffic signals and reducing 15th Street between First Avenue South and First Avenue North from four lanes to three.

The engineering company will be paid $4,950 for its work on the application.

Councilman Jeffrey Halter was absent from the otherwise unanimous votes to award the contracts.