North 22nd Street in front of St. Edmond High School is a new focus of activity as crews get ready to repave a long stretch of that road.

Here’s a summary of the major projects recently completed or underway in the city.

Fifth Avenue South

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Workers with Castor Construction, of Fort Dodge, were busy Monday afternoon along North 22nd Street. Concrete curbs and gutters are being replaced in anticipation of the roadway being repaved within the next two weeks.

The work on Fifth Avenue South between 30th Street and the bridge that carries the road over a drainage ditch is 99 percent complete, according to City Engineer Tony Trotter.

He said some signs need to be put up and some sodding must be put in place before the project is done. But drivers no longer face any lane closures or traffic restrictions in that area.

The work completed the final phase of the Corridor of Commerce project. It included intersection improvements plus new medians, street lights and traffic signals.

Castor Construction, of Fort Dodge, had a $1,084,500.65 contract for the job.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
A section of North First Street remains closed as work continues to replace the 93-year-old bridge that sits over Soldier Creek.

Eighth Avenue South

That road is being rebuilt between 25th and 32nd streets.

”That project, more than any other one, was delayed by the wet spring,” Trotter said. ”I would say it’s a couple weeks behind.”

He said the project was divided into six phases so that the entire street wasn’t closed at once. Dividing it up into phases ensured that all the homes and businesses along the street would still have some access, he said. Two phases have been completed, with four more to go.

Trotter said he believes the work will be done by the end of this year.

The project will result in new sanitary sewers, water mains, storm sewers, a new concrete road surface and sidewalks on both sides of the street.

Wicks Construction, of Decorah, has a $3,115,507.60 contract for the job.

The city has $1.2 million from the state to help pay for it.

Work started in April.

North First Street Bridge

The replacement of a 93-year old bridge over Soldier Creek began in August 2018, and has recently been plagued with some problems.

”They poured a lot concrete that we ordered them to take out because of substandard workmanship,” Trotter said.

He said the city has ”struggled” with the subcontractor doing the concrete work.

Despite the problems, Trotter believes the new bridge will open by the end of July.

Christensen Brothers Inc., of Cherokee, has a $1,023,647.05 contract for the job. The city has received about $1 million from the state to help pay for it.

Annual street paving

Every year, the city repaves a number of streets. Perhaps the most visible paving job at the moment is on 22nd Street between Second and Sixth avenues north.

Crews from Castor Construction, of Fort Dodge, are now building new concrete curbs and gutters along that stretch. They are also doing some storm sewer work.

Trotter said next week the existing asphalt pavement will be removed by a process called milling. The new pavement will be put down the following week, he said.

North 22nd Street will be repaved between Second and 10th avenues north. It is the biggest single component of a $1,098,198.40 paving project being completed by Fort Dodge Asphalt Co.

Trails

Crews are currently paving a new trail link along 15th Avenue South near the eastern border of the city. That work will help to create a trail link along South 32nd Street from the Almost Home animal shelter to 15th Avenue South. It will then extend west along 15th Avenue South to Oleson Park.

Wicks Construction, of Decorah, has a $768,888.26 contract for the job.

Construction of a new trail connection off of North 22nd Street could begin this week.

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