Reconstruction begins soon on Iowa Avenue road project

By BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Starting Monday, Sept. 22, drivers who use Iowa Avenue for their work commute might have to adjust their travel schedule.

Jake Hotchkiss, Henry County Engineer, announced that the official start date for road maintenance on Iowa Avenue would be Monday, Sept. 22. Crews are set to begin working at 7 a.m. Hotchkiss estimates the road will be closed for about a week. Signs will be posted to inform drivers which parts of Iowa Avenue will be closed to traffic.

?There is about 120 feet of bad pavement there, and we are going to get that replaced. I realize that will be an inconvenience for the public, but we will get signs out on Monday morning. Just bear with us and we will get it opened up as soon as we can,? said Hotchkiss.

Hotchkiss reassured the public that citizens living on Iowa Avenue would have access in and out of their homes during the week that work is being done.

The resurfacing of the courthouse parking lot is still ongoing thanks to rainfall last weekend. Hotchkiss informed the board that crews would be out again this weekend to complete work on the parking lot.

Also in the final stages of work is the low water crossing on 230th Street. The crossing is now complete and crews are beginning to clean up the job site. Hotchkiss and his team plan to have the street open to traffic soon.

?As soon as everything dries up there, we will have about another day or two to get some work done,? said Hotchkiss. ?We should be opening that up to traffic shortly.?

Rain has still been an issue for work on 150th Street, west of Highway 218. Crews are taking advantage of the nice weather now, however, and will be using the rest of the week for grading.

Last on Hotchkiss? agenda was an update on an equipment storage building for the county. So far, the building is mostly enclosed and crews are now pouring the concrete floors. A drain pit for the building was poured earlier last week.

In other news, Marc Lindeen and Greg Moeller approved and completed the canvassing of votes for the special school election on Sept. 9. Supervisor Gary See was not in attendance at the meeting as he was out of the office.

According to official reports, a total of 2,881 votes were submitted from absentee votes, the central precinct and the southwest precinct.

Last on the board?s agenda was the official reading of bids for a three-year lease of county farmland. A total of three bids were received.

Winning the bid was Andrew Krogmeier for $225.00 per acre.

The next board of supervisors meeting will be tomorrow (Thurs.) at 9 a.m. at the Henry County courthouse.