(Spencer)– The Spencer City Council Monday evening approved plans and specifications and an estimate of cost for a major street and infrastructure project. The city’s engineer told the council it includes the reconstruction of east 4th Street from 5th Avenue East to 10th Avenue East, along with the separation of storm water and sanitary sewer lines in that area…
“The project’s going to start at 6th Avenue East with the extension of the storm sewer between East 3rd Street and East 4th Street. That sewer was actually started in 1995 and outlets at the Little Sioux River. That block of street pavement will be widened to 31 foot and existing sanitary sewer and water main will also be replaced during that reconstruction of that block. East 4th Street will be widened to 35 foot wide and that will be an eight inch thick reinforced concrete pavement, and existing sanitary sewer and water main will also be replaced while that street is torn up for those five blocks.”
Any lead water service lines in that area will also be replaced along with some sanitary sewer service lines that are behind the curb. It’s all a part of the $2.4 million dollar project…
“The city received $600,000 in community block grant funding and also $453,000 in D.O.T swap funding. SMU is contributing approximately $350,000 towards the construction costs for their water main replacement, that leaves about a million dollars of construction costs for the city.”
Some accommodations are also being made to try to limit inconveniences to neighboring property owners in that area…
“Their access can only be limited to a maximum of 30 working days, and that’s working days not calendar days. So depending on the weather, you know, that can be six, seven weeks. We’re hoping for good weather and good progress on the project. The project will separate 39 acres of existing combined sewer. This project was identified in the 2009 sanitary sewer evaluation study. It’s part of the city’s long term goal of separating all of the combined sewers. There will be a designated detour route while East 4th Street is closed so traffic will either go up 4th Avenue or 10th Avenue and then cut across on Milwaukee Street. We’ve limited that to 75 working days, so depending on the weather that could be about four months that East 4th Street would be closed.”
He adds they’re hoping the contract would start work on the project around mid-May. It’s expected to take about four months to complete.
The Iowa Department of Transportation will hold a bid letting on the project January 18th, 2023. That agency will be in charge of awarding a bid due to state funds being involved.
