first on decorahnews.com: Highway 52 reconstruction will carry over into 2016

Construction crews are in the process of removing concrete barriers, temporary stop lights and other signs of the construction project on Highway 52 north of its intersection with Highway 9.  But the crews will be back next year.

Iowa Department of Transportation construction engineer Ron Loecher in the DOT's New Hampton office tells decorahnews.com, "The project will not be completed this year."

Loescher says there are three reasons the project will carry over into 2016.  All involve the type of construction used on the highway, which laid concrete panels that were joined together.

First of all, the quantities of concrete patching needed were greatly increased because the concrete at the joints was in poor condition.  Secondly, not all the reinforcing bars used at the joints were installed because of the need for maintaining traffic on the highway.  Finally, not all of the grinding of the concrete along adjoining concrete panels was finished--again because of the delays caused by needing more concrete patching.

Loescher says with the impending cold temperatures arriving, the contractors will be re-striping the roadway, removing the temporary stop signs and otherwise getting the highway ready for two-way traffic.

Loescher says the contractors will resume the remaining work next year.  He expects the work to be completed in late May of early June.

Crews began removing some of the concrete barriers on the highway on Thursday