(Spirit Lake)– A couple of roads in the Spirit Lake area could be getting a change in classification.
The Dickinson county board of supervisors Tuesday authorized County Engineer Dan Eckert to pursue the change. Eckert says it would affect old Highway 276…which was just transferred July 1st to the county by the state…and Peoria Avenue from old Highway 276 to Highway nine. He says they’ll actively pursue getting those roads listed as “farm to market” or “federal aid” routes.
Eckert says the new designation would make federal and state funding available to help with maintenance, instead of all of it coming from local taxpayers.
Eckert says the only drawback is that it will push back plans to revamp Peoria Avenue north of 15th Street. The project was scheduled yet for this construction season. But Eckert says they’ll delay that until they hear something back on the reclassification request. He says it could take up to a year before they hear something back. But Eckert says it will be worth the wait if it means getting 80 percent funding from the federal government to maintain the two roads.
