Big road projects are on agenda for 2005

By Lori Ehde2005 will be a big year for road construction projects in Luverne and Rock County.Main Street will be torn up from one end to the other for mill and overlay work. Utility conduit for new streetlights and future technology will be buried at the same time. Blue Mound Avenue will be in the same shape, as it will be milled and overlaid from Main Street north to the city limits. The gravel road that borders the northern edge of the new hospital property will become a paved city street with curb, gutters and sidewalks. It’s now a County State Aid Highway — CSAH 37.In addition, Highway 75, between Veterans Drive and County Road 37 will be graded, and turn lanes will be added to accommodate hospital traffic.Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr presented the information Tuesday during the annual road and bridge hearing at the library.He said plans for long-range may be subject to change.Five-year planOther plans for 2005 include:
CSAH 20 (the east-west blacktop that leads to the state park) from Highway 23 to Highway 75, mill and overlay
CSAH 11 (Steen blacktop) from Highway 270 to CSAH 4, mill and overlay
CSAH 20, replacement of bridge L2153 3 1/2 miles west of Highway 75
South River Road Bridge L2258, 1 mile west of CSAH 9 (near the old Boy Scout Camp) will be replaced.Total cost for the projects is estimated at $4.2 million, with bonding and federal, state and municipal state aids offsetting the cost. Total local cost this year will be about $52,000.In 2006:
Rubblizing (grinding pavement to three-inch chunks) and surfacing County Road 4 (Old Hwy 16) from County 11 (the Steen blacktop) west to County Road 6.
Replacing five township bridges — two in Clinton and one each in Martin, Beaver Creek, Springwater and Vienna.In 2007:
Grading and aggregate resurfacing County Road 17 (north of Beaver Creek) from County Road 4 to Hwy 23.
Replacing a county bridge southeast of Hills
Replacing two township bridges, one in Battle Plain and one in Vienna.In 2008:
County Road 9 will be milled and overlaid from County Road 4 near Magnolia south to County Road 8, and from the Iowa line to County Road 1 (the Ellsworth blacktop)
County 17 will be paved (to complete the work that started in 2007).
County 55 will be milled and overlaid from County Road 4 to County Road 9.In 2009:
County Road 16 (the east-west road near Schoneman Park) will be graded and paved from Highway 75 east to County Road 9.
Three county bridges will be replaced, one in Luverne Township and two in Magnolia Township.