Commissioners updated on asphalt overlay, box culvert projects
HARTINGTON — Work on asphalt overlay and box culvert projects throughout Cedar County is progressing.
The county board of commissioners heard an update from County Highway Superintendent Carla Schmidt on Oct. 10 about the projects.
Knife River of Sioux City, Iowa, was awarded the contract of more than $2.3 million in February for four asphalt overlay projects.
One of the projects the company has been working on is for 898th Road from Highway 81 going east for 1.7 miles near South Yankton. This also is known as the “Bottom Road.”
This project has included milling the existing asphalt up, laying it back down and compacting it for a base, and then laying eight inches of asphalt over the top.
Schmidt told the commissioners that asphalt work along this stretch of road has been completed.
“They still have to do the shouldering and the striping and so forth,” Schmidt said. “That project’s winding down.”
Another area Knife River is working on is 889th Road from Highway 57 going east to Bow Valley.
This project will include milling of some of the existing asphalt and laying a three-inch overlay.
Schmidt noted this stretch of road has had patching and milling work done on it, and that will be followed by asphalt work.
Knife River also will work on Kathol Road from Highway 84 going south for approximately 800 feet next to St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery just southwest of the Hartington city limits.
This is a new overlay project on an existing gravel road and will include eight inches of asphalt on the subgrade.
“They’re kind of going backwards of what their schedule said,” Schmidt said. “Their schedule said Hartington, Bow Valley and South Yankton, and they went South Yankton, Bow Valley and Hartington.”
The fourth asphalt overlay project Knife River was approved for was completed in June on 559th Avenue from Highway 20 going north for three-fourths of a mile past the Randolph cemeteries.
In addition to the asphalt overlay projects, Schmidt updated the commissioners on two box culvert projects that were awarded to A&R Construction of Plainview in February.
The box culverts will replace two structurally deficient bridges and are part of the Nebraska Department of Transportation’s County Bridge Match Program.
Schmidt noted the NDOT’s County Bridge Match Program will reimburse the county up to $200,000 for the two box culvert projects, which have been bundled together.
A&R Construction has started working on a $290,891.39 box culvert project that is situated southwest of Obert, with the work taking an estimated four-six weeks.
After that work is completed, the company will move on to a $397,605.74 box culvert project located west of Coleridge.