Seventh

North

intersection

could open

next week

Reopening marks

end of Phase 1

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Unless Mother Nature again objects, New Ulm residents can look forward to the Seventh North intersection reopening next Tuesday, according to estimates presented at the weekly U.S. Highway 14 reconstruction update meeting Monday.

That will mark the completion of Phase 1 -- which includes the reopening of intersections at Seventh North and Eighth North and completion of paving from just beyond the Seventh North intersection to just short of the Ninth North intersection, Minnesota Department of Transportation's Chief Inspector Marv Kruger said.

Technically, Mathiowetz Construction Company had 30 working days to complete Phase One. The 30th working day would be Friday if there are no rain days this week.

"With the Tuesday date, they'll be going over a day or two, but I don't see that as being a problem. They did really well considering all the rain we've had," Kruger said.

In other words, the contractor won't be penalized for going past the deadline.

As of Monday, Mathiowetz' prime subcontractor, M R Paving & Excavating, had laid three of the four "lifts" of bituminous on those two blocks of roadway, Kruger said.

Those four lifts represent a thickness of 9 1/2 inches of bituminous, the amount that will be laid from Seventh North to 17th North, Kruger said.

"From 17th North and beyond (to the west city limits), it will be 10 1/2 inches of bituminous. Don't ask me why; that's what the specs call for."

While the bituminous work should be all done today, Kruger said the subcontractor for concrete work, Hoffman Concrete, has "about three days" of work left because there is still concrete median work to be done. Driveways also need to be placed.

"Mankato Electric will be placing the new traffic signals at Seventh (this week), but (the roadway) won't be striped until Monday."

Monday morning traffic from the west was detoured onto County State Aid Highway 12 and 29 so that Highway 14 can be torn up where North Highland would intersect for a "utility crossing, trenching, sanitary and storm sewer work," Kruger said.

"It's scheduled for six working days, but my hope is it will be back together so the road can be reopened Friday night."

Mathiowetz has started digging the key retention pond located in the "V" at the intersection of 20th North Street,

"This is the key one because it will be the one that all the others run into so they want to start with this one and work their way up the slope," Kruger explained.

So, there will be no more work right now on the retention pond scheduled to be built in the southeast quadrant of the North Garden Street intersection, until the 20th North pond is complete, Kruger said.

However, there will be digging done on the northwest quadrant pond at the North Highland intersection because the dirt will be needed for fill, Kruger said.

Finally, MnDOT's still waiting for the flashing lights to emphasize the four-way stop at 20th North and North Broadway, now marked by yellow flags atop each stop sign.

"They're on back-order. It's hard telling when we'll get them," Kruger said.