A look at the construction on Warford between 1st and 2nd Streets. Allison Ullmann/Raccoon Valley Radio

Work is continuing on the City of Perry’s Downtown Improvement Project.

Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson says the project’s timeline has shifted following RAGBRAI’s announcement that Perry will serve as a meeting town for the annual bike ride on July 21. He adds that the project team worked together to re-prioritize the various phases.

Peterson details that work is continuing on the underground utilities, including water and sewer services, mains and the new storm sewer. Work has started on Warford between 1st and 2nd Streets. He adds that workers have started to move back up the alley north towards the portion that was completed last fall.

Peterson explains that once the underground work is done, workers will be able to come in and start paving the alley on Warford. Work will then continue down Warford with the plan to get through the 2nd Street intersection before RAGBRAI coming through the city. 

Work will be paused during the week of RAGBRAI before continuing east on Warford up to the 3rd Street intersection. Peterson shares that the project will then move from Warford down 2nd Street into the intersection at 2nd and Willis.

He adds that detours will be in place once work gets to the intersections along with accommodations for residents to get into businesses in those areas. 

“It’s a short-term inconvenience for brand new infrastructure that should be good for 75 or more years. We’re very excited about that part of it, but it is inconvenient at the moment. A little bit of short-term inconvenience is well worth 75 years of not having to worry about it again.”

Peterson says the goal is to have the intersection at Warford and 2nd open for RAGBRAI so riders can come up 2nd Street and get downtown. From there, he adds that the team will reassess to see what can get done for the rest of the year.