Storm sewer work forces road closure
Effort will improve downtown drainage
-Messenger photo by Michaela Frerichs <br> An excavator prepares to dig into the ground just south of Fifth Avenue South Thursday afternoon as work progresses on a new storm sewer. The storm sewer, with pipes as big as 6 feet in diameter, will drain water from the eastern side of downtown.
-Messenger photo by Michaela Frerichs <br> An earthmover was perched on one of the huge mounds of soil on Fifth Avenue South between Eighth and 12th streets Thursday afternoon as crews worked to install a new storm sewer. That section of road will be closed for about a month because of the project.
-Messenger photo by Michaela Frerichs <br> Concrete pipes of various sizes were lined up on the football field at the former Fair Oaks Middle School Thursday afternoon. Those section of pipe will form a new storm sewer to drain water from the eastern end of downtown Fort Dodge.
-Messenger photo by Michaela Frerichs <br> An excavator prepares to dig into the ground just south of Fifth Avenue South Thursday afternoon as work progresses on a new storm sewer. The storm sewer, with pipes as big as 6 feet in diameter, will drain water from the eastern side of downtown.
-Messenger photo by Michaela Frerichs <br> An earthmover was perched on one of the huge mounds of soil on Fifth Avenue South between Eighth and 12th streets Thursday afternoon as crews worked to install a new storm sewer. That section of road will be closed for about a month because of the project.
-Messenger photo by Michaela Frerichs <br> Concrete pipes of various sizes were lined up on the football field at the former Fair Oaks Middle School Thursday afternoon. Those section of pipe will form a new storm sewer to drain water from the eastern end of downtown Fort Dodge.
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A busy section of Fifth Avenue South has been torn up so that massive storm sewer pipes can be placed beneath it.
That road between Eighth and 12th streets closed Monday and will remain closed for about a month.
Workers will be installing concrete storm sewer pipes that are as much as 6 feet in diameter.
''This is our downtown storm sewer project,'' said Chad Schaeffer, the city's chief development officer. ''Basically, it will take storm water from the east side of downtown to the Des Moines River.''
The new storm sewer begins near the intersection of Fourth Avenue South and Ninth Street, according to Schaeffer.
It then passes under the football field at the old Fair Oaks Middle School before going beneath Fifth Avenue South and down the hill toward the river.
Schaeffer said the contractor has 28 working days to finish the job at Fifth Avenue South.
The entire project is to be done by Thanksgiving, he said.
The work now underway is just the first phase of a bigger effort. Schaeffer said in 2023, a new, larger storm sewer will be installed from Fourth Avenue South and Ninth Street to First Avenue South and 12th Street.
S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc., of Jordan, Minnesota, has a $1.369,194.45 contract for the work that is currently underway.