City opens 15th to 18th earlier than expected

Jones Contracting finishes work to allow easier Rodeo traffic

Posted

FORT MADISON - City officials have opened the west end of the Hwy 61 project earlier than expected. 

City Public Works Director Mark Bousselot said Jones Contracting was able to get the 15th to 10th Street sections of Avenue H completed a head of time and stripers came down to  get lane striping done.

Bousselot said with heavy congestion on Avenue E due to school being back in session and the rodeo in town, the city paid the stripers to come out early to allow some easing of traffic during the heavy weekend.

A tradeoff of sorts was that the city would shut off 14th Street to allow work to begin there early

"Phase 1 of this section was 10th to 12th and 15th to 18th," Bousselot said. "They got that done and with traffic being congested on Avenue we reached out to the stripers to see what it would take to get them to come down early."

He said there would probably be a change order in the works for the extra trip down, but getting the road open was a priority for the city.

"For the betterment of the community it made sense," Bousselot said.

Avenue E has been the only through route to the west from the east unless motorists went down 14th Street to Avenue M and across.

The city is hoping that Jones Contracting will be able to have the entire 10th to 18th project completed in the next 9 months, but Bousselot said things seem to be a bit ahead of schedule. However, progress can be hindered by many things including weather.

"June of 2023 is when we are hoping to have the entire project completed.

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  • Tommy2024

    Please change it back to four lanes so we don't have to pass slow cars in the turning lanes.

    Sunday, September 11, 2022 Report this

  • Tommy2024

    Hey Chuck,quit being a anti 1st amendment and post my comments.this place is one sided towards anti-Americanism and most people in this town are republicans and love our country and are sickoned by this antiAmerican site.

    Sunday, September 11, 2022 Report this