(Spencer)– The city of Spencer has been pushing for a bypass to the west of the city for the last several years…and now thanks to the federal government, that dream is becoming a reality.
City and county officials announced the West Spencer Beltway project during a press conference Thursday. The project will create a north-south link on the west side of Spencer between Highway 18 on the north side and Highway 71 on the south, for a total distance of five and-a-half miles.
Spencer Mayor Reynold Petersen says work on the west beltway project has been underway since last year when city officials went to Washington, D.C. In July of last year the city was contacted by Senator Chuck Grassley’s office. He told the group he had secured a five million dollar federal congressional earmark for the project. In order to receive the money, the city would have to come up with a 20 percent local match. The city then contacted the Clay county board of supervisors in hopes they would agree to a partnership to get the bypass built, and split the 20-percent local match. The supervisors agreed and the project started rolling.
Mayor Peterson says the plans include extending 32nd Avenue West a little over a mile south. The project will include the installation of a bridge in that area. The road will also be widened to 24 feet. What money is left after that will be used to improve 32nd Avenue West from West Fourth Street to 18th Street, then go farther north toward Highway 18.
The cost of the project is estimated at 4.17 million dollars. With splitting the 20 percent local match, both the city and county would be responsible for about 400-thousand dollars of the cost each.
Clay county supervisor Del Brockshus says the beltway will be a huge economic boost for the area and will help make life easier for law enforcement.
The project will be locally constructed, owned and maintained by the county and city of Spencer.
Construction is to begin in 2009. The project is slated for completion about a year-and-a-half later.
(Story from Danielle Hitchings of sister station KUYY in Spencer.)
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