News : Street improvement: What Vinton plans for future projects

Usually, April 1 is the first day of construction season for street projects, but if you look around Vinton, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on. There is, however, a lot going on behind the scenes, and soon you will notice a lot happening around town. Here is an update on the projects about which you may have heard. More information can be obtained from Vinton City Hall at 472-4707 or attending a Vinton City Council meeting at Vinton City Hall, 110 West 3rd Street. The meetings begin at 7:00 PM on the second and fourth Thursday.

West 13th Street Improvement Project: This major street project is aimed at reconstructing the intersection of Highway 218 and West 13th Street and West 13th Street to the first entrance of the New Century/Farm Service Property near the west city limits. The City of Vinton received a Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) grant to pay for 50 percent of the cost of the road improvements and is using additional federal funding to assist with the intersection improvements. Due to the heavy truck traffic that has already begun to enter and leave the Farm Service property, the intersection will be widened with turn lanes and the street will be replaced with 9 inches of concrete. Curbing and a storm sewer system will also be part of the street improvements.

The City was hoping to get started on the construction this year and was warning residents and businesses about major delays at the intersection. However, due to delays in approval of the design plans, the project will not be out to bid until July. This means that any construction that happens this year will mainly be dirt work to install the storm sewer system. Most of the street improvements will be done next year.

2013 Bond Issue Street Projects

During the budget preparation time for the next fiscal year beginning July 1, the Council decided to borrow $2 million for street improvements. In conversations with Street Superintendent Rick Erickson, the City Council decided to concentrate on the following four projects due to the condition of the streets and their heavy use:

1. West 10th Street from B Avenue to G Avenue: Remove concrete, replace curbs, put down a base and then have the city sealcoat the surface. This would skip the intersection at C Avenue since C Avenue is a state highway.

2. West 15th Street from A Avenue to C Avenue: Saw curb line, mill to a depth of 1.5” at gutter line, tapering to nothing within 6 feet. Overlay with two lifts of 1.5” hot mix asphalt.

3. A Avenue from 13th Street to 15th Street: Saw curb line, mill to a depth of 1.5” at gutter line, tapering to nothing within 6 feet. Overlay with two lifts of 1.5” hot mix asphalt.

4. 13th Street from 2nd Avenue to C Avenue: Total rehabilitation plus storm catch basins. This is a main traffic route. This project will include the intersection at 2nd Avenue and 13th Street, which will need to be done first to allow traffic to continue to flow south on 2nd Avenue.

The City is currently taking bids from engineering firms to get the best deal on design and construction oversight. After plans and bid documents are drawn up, the City will then go out for bids on the four projects as a group. These projects will likely be done during the course of the 2014 construction season. Some sanitary sewer work will probably need to be done on a couple of these projects which may be completed this fall. Cost estimates indicate that these four projects will expend half the funds borrowed. More street projects will be investigated during the next budget cycle beginning near the end of this calendar year.

IDOT Resurfacing on Highway 150: The City of Vinton has also received notice that the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) will be doing a resurfacing project on Highway 150 which goes through the city. The IDOT will be doing this project on C Avenue from West 4th Street to West 3rd Street and then east to 1st Avenue. Although the official notice stated that this project is scheduled for completion in 2013, we have heard that the project is likely slated for June and will take about two weeks. The IDOT will also be installing curb ramps for the sidewalks at the intersections along this route. More information will be coming later as the City gets the information from the IDOT.