Cavour tops road projects

By Lauren Radomski (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, June 7, 2008

The end of winter means the start of road construction season in Minnesota, and Fergus Falls residents can expect to see a handful of local projects underway this summer.

“It’s not necessarily the worst (roads) that get fixed first,” said Clif Allen, Public Works engineer. “We want to focus the limited dollars on areas that can be saved. Preventative maintenance is a big part of it.”

One focus will be a $124,000 overlay project along West Cavour from Vine to Court Streets. Workers will grind off the top inch and a half of the street surface, getting rid of crack sealant and loose materials, and leveling the street before overlay is replaced. The project will include the same work to the city parking lot across from Bank of the West.

A $141,000 chip seal project is scheduled for residential streets south of Vernon and east of Cascade, Allen said. In this project, streets are covered in a layer of oil followed by a layer of pea gravel — small round stones used to create aggregate concrete surfaces. The project’s starting point will be up to the contractor, Allen said.

The newly named Airport Drive will also see some construction, as workers complete a structural overlay project to strengthen the road for use by heavier vehicles. The addition of a right turn lane on to Highway 210 is also scheduled.

Other Public Works projects planned for the summer include:

• The construction of a frontage road along West Lincoln to serve the new building housing American Welding and Carquest

• Curb, gutter and bituminous street work at the northern end of Western Ave. to serve the chemical dependency facility

• Water main expansion to serve the Regional Treatment Center

• A new water supply well at the water treatment plant

• Annual sidewalk improvements

• Construction of a shop and maintenance facility at the airport

The goal is to start on a few of these projects this month, Allen said, though the weather and the schedules of contractors may delay some until July.

Other projects, Allen said, have been identified as improvement areas but aren’t planned for the immediate future.

“We actually have (those) in design but the real question is always the funding,” he said.

These areas include portions of East Mount Faith, East Summit and Hampden, as well as the neighborhood around the Mill Street Residence.

As with all road construction projects, the city asks drivers pay attention to detours and show courtesy to workers at sites this summer. Many are not simply 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. projects, Allen said, and may take place some evenings.

“It’s dangerous work, it really is,” he said, “even in smaller towns at slower speeds.”