A major road project is fast approaching in Jefferson.

City Administrator Mike Palmer says the City Council approved at their March 14th meeting an asphalt overlay project on West Lincoln Way from Highway 4 to Grimmell Road. Palmer tells Raccoon Valley Radio a few years ago the City was looking to do a complete rehabilitation of that stretch of road, with new sewer and water mains, among other things, but the cost was prohibitive around $6 million. 

“We started looking at other ways that maybe we could do something a little more immediate that would last some time, with the full intention (that) we know it can’t last forever. Had the utilities evaluated underneath it, looked at the curb and gutter, and although it’s kind of broken up, our public works thought that would still be adequate.”   

Instead, the Council approved a $160,942 bid from Fort Dodge Asphalt to ground down two-inches of the existing concrete and apply two-inches of asphalt on the surface, which Palmer believes is a good immediate solution.

“We’ve experimented with that (with) some other places in town with very, very good success. And because of the maintenance that we do on these streets they tend to last quite a while. We’re expecting this overlay to last 10, 15, maybe even 20 years, which is a pretty good lifetime on something like that.”   

Palmer notes that a stipulation with Fort Dodge Asphalt was to get this project done before the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) comes through Jefferson on Lincoln Way in July. The project will be paid for through Local Option Sales and Services Tax.