Workers race to complete D Street in time for school

Contractors for the D Street road project Shipley Construction Co. finished laying pavement from Burlington to Madison avenue Monday, but are far from finished with sidewalks and driveways, project officials say.

?All of the main line pavement is done and is drying,? said project engineer Jerry Long of French-Reneker Associates.

?But we will keep it closed so it is safe for contractors to work on sidewalks and driveways.?

But come the first day of school on Aug. 22, Long said, ?We?ll most likely open it up anyway so school buses can get through.?

The construction project disrupts bus routes for Fairfield schools and blocks the way for a number of students walking to school.

?We are doing everything we can to help and push Shipley to make that date,? said Long.

But it?s too soon to make promises, Long believes, saying, ?It?s still too up in the air to say with certainty.?

Fairfield residents have long lamented the condition of D Street, which Long described as ?horrible.?

?No one could really remember when it was last paved,? he said.

Since the road is on a federal aid route, the city of Fairfield paid 20 percent of the cost to pave 4.5 blocks, or approximately $77,000.

French Reneker is overseeing the project and has been interfacing with the Iowa Department of Transportation to ensure compliance with federal rules.

Long said standards are precise and add to the amount of work required. For instance, the project must meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, which specify the slope and height of curb ramps for sidewalk intersections down to fine measurements.

?Since we?re accepting federal funds, we have to play by their rules,? said Long.

The project narrowly escaped a major setback when a water main broke between Monroe and Madison avenues. Luckily, construction workers had not yet laid new pavement at the site, otherwise Long said they?d have had to replace it.

?I think we?re out of the woods on that,? said Long.

Long said there have not been setbacks on D Street like there have been on South Second Street between Madison and Jackson avenues. Starting May 14, the city went in to repair a deteriorated sewer line and have since experienced a domino effect of setbacks that have left them replacing the entire sewer line, water main and pavement.

?The sewer was so bad it couldn?t be lined or fixed any other way,? said Long. ?The pavement was so bad, once you replace the sewer, you have to replace the pavement.?

A grating crew from Shipley Construction will begin road work on Second Street next week.

?Those residents have had a long summer,? said Long, ?and we appreciate their patience.?

Long said the upcoming sewer overhaul in Fairfield should not affect the new road on D Street. French Reneker has televised the inside of pipes, and says they are in fair condition and should only need lining.

?Unless something bad happens, we will line the sewer without having to replace it again,? said Long.