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Airport Dr. main, other projects likely [UPDATED]
Published 11:01am Wednesday, August 1, 2012 Updated 11:19am Wednesday, August 1, 2012Fergus Falls residents will likely see work on three construction projects on the city’s outskirts this fall, after the city’s Finance Committee recommended the next stage in the projects to the city council this morning.
The biggest project is a $400,000 water main extension from Two Rivers Road to the county transfer station on Airport Drive. The committee approved the project’s plans and specifications. The eventual goal is to stretch the main out to the city airport, but the project is only going to the transfer station for now for cost reasons.
Since the main will also benefit the transfer station, Fergus Falls and Otter Tail County will be sharing costs equally. The city’s cost will be covered by budgeted money in the water fund.
“We have in included it in our 2012 capital improvement program,” said City Engineer Dan Edwards.
Bids will be opened on Sept. 11, with construction happening later in the fall.
The other two projects involve paving two recreational paths in the city: the trail connecting DeLagoon Park to the Central Lakes Trail and the recently-raised access road to Pebble Lake Beach. Each project is estimated to cost $45,000, and construction on both would take place in September.
“Now, (the Central Lakes connecting trail) is sort of a pretty sparse gravel surface,” said Edwards.
The Central Lakes Trail connector improvement and pavement will be funded by in-hand state funds and already-collected private donations to improve bike paths. The Pebble Lake Beach road pavement will be funded by the city’s gas tax funds.
Now gravel, the Pebble Lake Beach access road used to be paved, until high water problems forced the city to raise the road. The lake’s water levels are now under control, said Edwards, and he believes that a repaving would be better than digging back down to the original level because the city would need to get rid of the rip rap near the road if the original road level was restored.
Though there has been some discussion at the city level about moving Pebble Lake Beach to DeLagoon Park, Edwards said the road paving is still worth it because the area is still valuable city property and it’s unclear when or if the beach would be moved.
“Plus, we get the use of (the road to the beach) in the meantime,” he added.
