Traffic at the intersection of First Avenue South and 29th Street will only be able to go east beginning Thursday as a major construction project there continues.

The new traffic restriction was announced Monday as City Engineer Tony Trotter briefed the City Council on several projects now underway.

That intersection has been closed to northbound and southbound traffic for about three months as the work to install new storm sewers and a new water main progresses. The intersection itself will be reshaped to create a left turn lane, a lane for traffic going straight ahead and a right turn lane on all four sides.

Trotter said most of the underground work is already done there. That underground work included installing an 8-inch-diameter water main and storm sewers ranging in size from 18 inches to 54 inches in diameter. Those big storm sewers are intended to eliminate street flooding that often occurred along on South 29th Street during heavy rains.

The work began in April.

Wicks Construction, of Decorah, has a $2,649,867.10 contract for the job.

Paving

The annual asphalt paving project will begin next week on Floral Avenue, Trotter said. Floral Avenue is to be repaved between 15th and 19th streets.

Other streets to be repaved this year include:

• Fifth Avenue North between Ninth and 13th streets;

• Fourth Avenue North between Ninth and 13th streets;

• Third Avenue North between Ninth and 10th streets;

• North 13th Street between Sixth Avenue North and Central Avenue;

• Prospect Avenue between South 15th Street and the deadend;

• South 15th Street between Prospect Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks;

• North 16th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues north;

• North 18th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues north;

• South 16th Street from Eighth Avenue South to the deadend;

• South 18th Street between Fifth and Eighth avenues north.

Fort Dodge Asphalt Co. has a $1,182,036.17 contract for that work.

Trotter said the new section of 24th Avenue North between Williams Drive and North 15th Street is “virtually all done.” That street was built to serve the developing Williams Bend neighborhood, a large new housing area.

He said the concrete repair work on Kenyon Road near Avenue C is “moving right along.”

Other projects

Trotter said he will soon meet with managers of Christensen Brothers Inc., of Cherokee, to plan the replacement of the North First Street Bridge. The council hired that company on June 11 to do the bridge job at a cost of $1,023,647.05. A section of North First Street is already closed to traffic.

A major storm sewer project along 15th Avenue South began just last week because city officials had difficulties getting the needed right of way, Trotter said. Rasch Construction, of Fort Dodge, was hired in March to do the job. It will be paid $1,372,327.