On Monday, eastbound traffic was shifted onto the recently built westbound side of the bridge, where one lane of traffic is open in each direction. That traffic pattern will remain in place through November while work is being done on the eastbound lanes.

For most of last year, all traffic was on those eastbound lanes as the westbound side was torn down and rebuilt. That $15.2 million project started in November 2023 and ended last December.

Jenny Hoskins, a resident construction engineer for the Iowa Department of Transportation, said this year’s work consists of two elements. Replacing the driving surface on the part of the bridge that goes over the Des Moines River is one of them. Replacing deck joints on the part of the bridge over the Canadian National Railway tracks is the other.

The project is not related to the replacement of the westbound bridges, Hoskins said.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Traffic is seen moving in both directions Monday afternoon on the westbound lanes of the Kenyon Road bridge near South Eighth Street. Eastbound traffic has been shifted onto the recently built westbound lanes so that paving and joint replacement work can be done on the eastbound side.

Jasper Construction Services, of Newton, has a $1,630,594.13 contract for the job.

The Kenyon Road Bridge is actually four individual bridge structures — two on the westbound side and two on the eastbound side. On each side there is a bridge over the railroad tracks and a bridge over the Des Moines River.

The original bridges on the westbound side were very similar to the Interstate 35 bridge in the Twin Cities of Minnesota that collapsed in 2007. That is why they were taken down and replaced in the 2023-2024 project.

Kenyon Road is not the only spot in Fort Dodge where drivers will see bridge work this year. Hoskins said there will be some work on the U.S. Highway 169 bridges at the interchange with Second Avenue South. A year ago, crews were working there to repair damage caused when a vehicle hit the bridge.

Hoskins said this year’s work will consist of reinforcing the approaches to the bridges. She said the approaches are the first 70 feet of highway on either side of the bridges.