CITY NOTES: Signs and other 2018 construction activities are set

By John D Fallis, PW, CFM, Charles City City Engineer

Five Man Electric Band had the 1971 hit song “Signs.” Charles City is scheduled this summer to add our own version of the lyrics to go like this:

“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign;

“Pointin’ out the way, helpin’ me find;

“Go left, don’t go right, you can read the sign!”

A wayfinding signage project, which has been discussed for a number of years, has been designed and bids for construction of the program will be received June 14. The City Council will discuss the project and the received bids at the June 18 City Council meeting.

In addition to signs along the city streets, the city will work with the Iowa DOT for signs placed along highways US 18 and Iowa 14.

The total project includes four gateway / welcome signs, 30 vehicular guide signs, 19 parking lot identification signs and four information kiosks.

In addition to the Wayfinding Signage Project and other minor projects, Charles City has the following list of major projects scheduled for 2018:

• Charley Western Trail Bridge Demolition Project.

• First Avenue Bridge Improvement Project.

• Hildreth Street Reconstruction Project.

• Riverside Drive / Illinois Street Reconstruction Project.

• HMA Paving Project.

• Miscellaneous PCC Pavement Repair Project.

• Clark Street Trail Extension Project.

• Lime Residual Removal Project.

• Sanitary Sewer Lining Project.

After a year-long delay due to environmental concerns for the state-endangered wood turtle and the historical significance determination of the existing Charley Western Trail Bridge, the bridge over the Cedar River will be demolished this summer.

Lodge Construction is under contract for the demolition work.

Concurrently, the city is working with structural engineers at Calhoun Burns and Associates in designing a new trail bridge, and we are working with the North Iowa Area Council of Governments to secure funding for the construction of a new bridge.

Work begins this week on the First Avenue Bridge Improvement Project. First Avenue, at the bridge over the Charley Western Trail at Salsbury Avenue, will be closed until early August for work on the bridge deck, placement of a barrier rail between the sidewalk and roadway, and removal of the old railing and placement of chain link fencing along the sidewalk.

The Riverside Drive and Hildreth Street projects are complete reconstruction projects where the existing street will be removed, new underground utilities placed and new concrete pavement constructed.

The Riverside Drive project will include realigning the existing street away from the river and elevating the new road to improve drainage and help maintain access during flood events.

The Hildreth Street project extends from Ninth Street to Gilbert Street. The Riverside/Illinois Project extends from Joslin Street at Riverside to Kelly Street at Illinois.

The city’s Local Option Sales Tax will help pay for these two projects and also the HMA Paving Project and the Miscellaneous PCC Pavement Repair Project.

The HMA Paving Project will include placing an asphalt surface on the following streets: Stony Point Road, Bunn Avenue, Second Street west of Iowa Street, South Jackson Street north of Court Street, and Riverside Avenue north of Hart Street.

The Miscellaneous PCC Pavement Repair project is an annual project that we utilize as a pavement management tool to remove and replace isolated areas that have failed in an otherwise good section of pavement.

The Clark Street Trail Extension Project is the continuation of the 10-foot-wide asphalt trail that was constructed in 2013 along Clark Street from the Charley Western Trail at Salsbury Avenue to Terrace Road.

This year, the trail will continue along Clark Street from Terrace Road and terminate at Lakeshore Drive. Eighty percent of the construction costs will be funded by the federal government using Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funds.

The Lime Residual Removal project will remove an accumulation of lime material from one of the city’s two lime lagoons near the water treatment plant.

The city’s water treatment plant uses lime to soften raw water before it is distributed throughout the city. The used lime is pumped and stored in lagoons until it can be removed and land applied.

The lime has been certified by the Iowa Department of Agriculture as an agricultural lime material that can be placed on farm fields to help improve the soil condition.

Des Moines based Hydro-Klean Inc. has completed this year’s sanitary sewer lining project. The sanitary sewer lining project is an annual project that we use to reconstruct sanitary sewers in-place.

Lined sewers help to eliminate ground water inflow and infiltration into the sanitary sewer system and reduce flow to the treatment plant. This year’s project included lining approximately 8,000 feet of sanitary sewer main located in areas north of 16th Avenue both east and west of North Grand Avenue.

That is it for now. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at City Hall.