The lights near the Hawkeye Avenue Bridge went up as the first phase of a complete overhaul of the Third Avenue Northwest corridor begins.

When the work is finished this fall, drivers won’t be facing such a steep hill on the west side of the bridge. Also, the curve at the top of the hill won’t be as sharp.

”That whole corridor is going to look a lot different,” said Austin Morrow, a civil engineer for the city of Fort Dodge.

The project will start with some utility relocation work.

-Submitted image
Construction work along Hawkeye Avenue will include temporary traffic lights to control traffic flow.

”MidAmerican Energy needs to move a pretty good size gas line down by the bridge,” Morrow said.

That job is expected to take a week and a half.

When it is done, the actual street work will begin.

Morrow said the first step will be rebuilding the intersection of Hawkeye Avenue and Second Street Northwest. Traffic will be limited to one lane there, with the temporary traffic lights on either side of the bridge controlling access.

Then the contractor will attack the hill.

-Submitted image
Temporary traffic lights on either side of the Hawkeye Avenue Bridge will control access during the construction project.

”A lot of dirt will come out of that hill,” Morrow said.

The street will be reconstructed between the bridge and Sixth Street Northwest. Water mains and sanitary sewers will also be replaced.

Castor Construction, of Fort Dodge, has a $2,644,722.89 contract to do the job.

Beginning in mid-May, traffic in the area will be detoured onto Amvets Drive.

The project is expected to be done in October.