Caledonia Argus

County behind on road project, 10-mile detour to begin soon

Posted: 7/16/02

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

People will have a few more months yet to drive on County #3 from Caledonia to Brownsville before a 10 mile detour is implemented.

Houston County Engineer Allen Henke anticipates beginning regrading of a three-and-a-half-mile portion of the road between Gavin Road through to a few hundred feet east of Weinbender Road in September. He hopes to have it all regraded with aggregate put on before winter sets in. The regrading includes widening the road and the ditches, taking out old culverts and adding new ones.

The detour will run from County 5 out of Caledonia to 14 to State Hwy. 26 up to Brownsville. By winter, however, said Henke that Cty. 3 will be open again.

Then next summer when paving begins, the road will detour on State Hwy. 249 and CSAH 24.

The entire County 3 project is about one year behind schedule, said Henke.

He said their department didnít begin working on the design for the second west portion of CSAH 3 until January. ìThe guys here at the office worked really hard to get it out,î Henke said.

Earlier this spring and in June, seed and sod were added, and erosion control silt fences were taken out on Cty. 3.

Now, the highway department is waiting for appraisals to be done on land that will be needed for easements from about 25 landowners. Construction cannot begin until right-of-way is obtained for all the properties. Henke says he hopes to let out the project for bids in August and then begin in September.

Paving of the west portion of Cty. 3 is planned to take place next summer, while paving of the east half of 3 is planned for the summer of 2004.

Paving projects

Paving projects that the county has been working on are nearing completion.

The paving of a little over a mile portion of CSAH 6 in La Crescent is almost done. It has been down to one lane. The old road is being milled up and paved.

A half mile portion of CSAH 25 in La Crescent is being paved.

Three miles of CSAH 9 down by Houston is being milled and paved.

Six tenths of a mile on CSAH 13 in the city of Houston is scheduled to be striped, paved and a new shoulder added.

Bridges

A bridge deck on CSAH 18 by the ball field in Hokah is scheduled to be rehabilitated. Bids will be let this week with work scheduled to begin in August.

If there is time, a small bridge on CSAH 5 near Winnebago Valley will be replaced.

The Mound Prairie Bridge was completed June 1.

Top of Page