(Spencer)– The Spencer city council Monday reviewed the Highway 71 south relocation project that will pave the way for Menards to come to town later this year.
City Engineer Jim Thiese told the council the project will be divided into four parts. They include widening the current road to four lanes; reconstructing an intersection to a four-way stop near the Hy-Vee store; resurfacing the highway between Seventh Avenue Southwest and Fourth Avenue Southwest; and the widening of Highway 71 to accomodate a center two-way left-turn lane from Fourth Avenue Southwest to South Grand Avenue.
Thiese told the council there will always be two-way traffic through the construction zone, but there will be certain time of one-way traffic, and times when pilot cars will have to be used.
For now, Thiese says the intersection near Hy-Vee is proposed to be a four-way stop. He says a D-O-T traffic study indicates a stop light wouldn’t be warranted there under current traffic counts. He says that could change in the future, and he says they’ll be requesting additional counts in that intersection later.
Thiese also suggested the city hold regular meetings to keep business owners in that area aprised as to what’s going on with the project.
The Spencer city council plans to hold a special meeting in mid to late February to set a date for a public hearing and bid-opening on the project.
(Story from Danielle Hitchings of sister station KDWD Hot 100 in Spencer.).
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