The Fort Dodge City Council moved Monday to begin the process of acquiring some needed land to overhaul the intersection of Second Avenue North and 15th Street.

But because the controversial plan to reduce a long stretch of North 15th Street from four lanes to three lanes has been dropped, there were no public objections to the resolution that was approved unanimously.

The plan for the intersection calls for a left turn lane, a right turn lane and a lane for traffic going straight ahead on each side of the intersection. But to build that, the city government needs to acquire some real estate around the intersection.

Mayor Matt Bemrich described the intersection job as a “good project to get going.”

The work is expected to be done next year.

The city received a $2 million grant from the state that will pay for most of the cost.

Rebuilding that intersection was never controversial by itself, but the work was initially tied to a bigger project that would have reduced part of North 15th Street to three lanes. There was vocal opposition to the reduction in the number of lanes, but even critics of that move publicly said the intersection needed to be improved.

The City Council on July 14 dropped the lane reduction plan and ordered the consulting engineering firm of Snyder & Associates, of Ankeny, to proceed with plans for the intersection job, the installation of new traffic lights and concrete repairs.