Storm sewer contract awarded in Fort Dodge

Work set for South 7th Street

Another project has been added to the long list of work that has drivers navigating a maze of orange road cones throughout Fort Dodge.

On Monday, the City Council awarded a contract for replacing a troublesome storm sewer along South Seventh Street that has caused two sinkholes in the last couple of years.

Rasch Construction, of Fort Dodge, was awarded a $98,155 contract for the job.

In a report to the council, City Engineer Austin Morrow wrote that in the spring of 2024 a sinkhole opened in Seventh Street between Fourth Avenue South and Meriwether Drive. The cause was traced to a storm sewer, which was repaired.

Earlier this year, another sinkhole opened in the same general area, on the east side of South Seventh Street, according to Morrow.

To fix the problem, Rasch Construction will replace 370 feet of pipe, install one storm sewer intake, and make all the necessary connections to the existing storm sewer system.

Other bidders for the job were Doyle Construction, of Fort Dodge, $104,066.50; and Nels Pederson Co., Badger, $110,150.