FD City Council approves water main work Monday

Work in northwest part of city to begin next year

Thousands of feet of new water mains will be installed in the northwest section of Fort Dodge beginning next year in a project intended to provide better water pressure and service to the area.

The City Council on Monday hired Rasch Construction Inc., of Fort Dodge, to do the work at a cost of $1,970,666.

That price is nearly $1 million less than the cost estimate for the project.

"We're getting super-aggressive bids on infrastructure projects," City Manager David Fierke said.

He said he believes contractors are offering good bids to increase their chances of getting projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The work will consist of installing 12-inch and 8-inch diameter water mains.

"Upon completion of the entire scope, the northwest region will have a full water main loop to eliminate multiple existing deadend water main spurs for increased water pressure and sustainability within the system," City Engineer Tony Trotter wrote in a report to the council.

The council voted unanimously to hire Rasch Construction Inc.

Other bidders for the project were Graff Excavating Inc., Toledo, $2,049,816; S.M. Hentges & Sons, Jordan, Minnesota, $2,441,423.60; Bob McKiness Excavating & Grading Inc., Mason City, $2,489,195; Hulstein Excavating Inc., Edgerton, Minnesota, $2,570,956; Crow River Construction, New London, Minnesota, $2,616,812; Spring Lake Construction, Polk City, $2,698,819.24; King Construction, Wall Lake, $2,793,516.35; and J & K Contracting, Urbandale, $2,955,503.90.

The water main work won't be the only big project on the city's northwest side in the coming years. Third Avenue Northwest and Hawkeye Avenue will be reconstructed in a project expected to be done in 2022 and 2023.