By Mari Radtke
Highway 59 will close on April 5 from the intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 10 west all the way north to County Highway B40 at Primghar. Beginning April 1 improvements to the L54 and B40 intersection will begin. The intersection east of Primghar is the north end of the detour to accommodate the Highway 59 closure. Improvements include signage, striping and some shoulder work at that intersection making wider turns possible. The closure of Highway 59 may be delayed if those improvements are not ready for the expected traffic count.
The general contractor for this project, PCI, Inc. of Reinbeck, Iowa, was allotted 110 working days to complete the project. That puts completion for a new grade on Highway 59 at August 24. Weather is the primary determinant for that date.
Following the removal of the bridge and new grading, a reinforced concrete culvert will be installed for the pedestrian path, Sneakers Run. The city of Primghar will install wiring for lights inside the culvert.
Access to affected businesses must be made available. Fine Homes and Lynch Livestock both sit at the north end of the bridge. Final details have not been announced to provide that access, but the Highway 59 that far north isn’t expected to be affected immediately.
IDOT is in talks with the contractor about including a bridge overlay on a Highway 59 bridge about 2 miles south.