Explore Okoboji
Listen Now! music notes icon
Listen! music notes icon 77° sun icon
  • Home
  • News
  • Crews Able To Get More Done Than Planned On First Phase Of Hwy 71 Reconstruction Through Lakes Corridor

Crews Able To Get More Done Than Planned On First Phase Of Hwy 71 Reconstruction Through Lakes Corridor

May 24, 2023 Steve Schwaller

(Arnolds Park)– The first phase of work on Highway 71 through the lakes corridor has pretty much concluded for the upcoming season. Crews will officially move out Thursday. They’ll return September 5th for the next phase.

Dakin Schultz of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s regional office in Sioux City tells KUOO news the general contractor, Cedar Valley Corporation, was able to get everything done that was scheduled for the first phase and then some…

“Got a little more pavement done, they added the stretch between Okoboji Grove Road and Benit and then they also did the outside northbound lane of the causeway. So a little bit more work than was originally anticipated which is certainly a positive.”

Schultz tells us the scope of the work that will be done when crews return after Labor Day…

“So in Arnolds Park that would include the other half of Dam Road. There will be work at Broadway and there would be a stretch at Linden Street. And then up in Okoboji we would have the portion between Lakeshore and Sanborn.”

He says the most significant work will begin September 18th, with the closure of the causeway between Arnolds Park and Okoboji…

“That will require obviously a detour of the traffic through that area and that will be closed for four weeks to complete that removal and replacement of pavement across the causeway, so that would be Ackley to Lakeshore.”

The project will continue this fall for as long as the weather allows. The work will then resume the following spring.

Back to News