You asked...about SE road construction

It's been a long, hot summer. Residents along a stretch in the southeast quadrant of Sleepy Eye have dealt with road construction for most of the long, hot summer.

The street construction is split into segments that include Second Avenue West from Walnut Street SW to Oak Street NW, Third Avenue SE from Summit Street SE to Water Street SE, Fourth Avenue SE from Maple Street SE to 90 feet south of Walnut Street SE, Water Street SE from Second Avenue SE to Fourth Avenue SE and Maple Street SE from Second Avenue SE to Fourth Avenue SE.

How much longer will it last?

According to Public Works Director Bob Elston a substantial completion date has been set for Oct. 15, 2012.

"The construction has taken longer than anticipated and there are a number of reasons for that," Elston said.

Initially, weather played a part. Shortly after construction began, rainfall drenched the area. Little did any of us know, that would be the last substantial rainfall of the summer. In any case, the rainfall did play a part in delaying the construction.

"We got rains when we started digging utilities in during the beginning," Elston explained. "It took some time before we got the soil compaction where we needed it." 

Secondly, the concrete crew has fallen behind because they are busy. Finally, the third reason for a delay was added work–but work that was necessary.

While interim completion dates hope to have a road in driveable condition within 6-10 weeks from the time construction begins, the contract does not say that within 6-10 weeks there will be asphalt on the road, Elston explained.

He went on to say that a substantial completion date means that all work besides the final layer of asphalt should be completed. Interim work includes removal of the road, utility construction and street restoration including subgrade preparation and placement of aggregate base up to the amount needed to construct new curb and gutter and to maintain and allow a gravel surface.

Once all that work has been completed, street resurfacing on the segment that was worked on will be completed within another four weeks.

Elston is hopeful that crews will begin laying asphalt on the roads where construction began first as soon as the week of Sept. 4 or Sept. 11, with a substantial completion date of Oct. 15.

"We apologize to those homeowners who have lived with this inconvenience and we are trying to get caught up," Elston added.