Road updates for Winneshiek County

The repaving project on 175th Street from Calmar to B16 is underway, according to Winneshiek County Engineer Lee Bjerke. B16 through 265th Avenue have been paved and should be cured and at its maximum strength. The crews have paved up to 258th Street, but that hasn’t fully cured as of May 15. “By Tuesday [May 16], if the weather holds out, they should be into Calmar, and that will slow things down a bit.  

Bjerke reported the cure time was averaging 56 hours, “which is over twice what we’re used to, but with the new concrete we have to use, it is what it is.”

According to Bjerke, the new concrete mixture is a push by the State of Iowa and Federal Highway Administration in 2022 to reduce the amount of cementitious materials in the concrete and replaced it with lime, which should reduce the amount of heat generated, leading to slower cure times but fewer carbon emissions overall. The mixture boasts a similar strength once cured.

Bridge 237 on 210th Street is reported to have the deck poured, but Bjerke estimated a couple of weeks before the project is completed and reopened to the public. 

County Road Crews will be completing the last box culvert on W14 soon and then the road will be ready for repaving, scheduled for 2024. 

Bjerke clarified the dust control policies of the county, reporting that many third party applicators take care of permitting required and try to get the job done quickly after permitting with stakes denoting the area treated for the blade operators on the gravels, but that some people applying their own dust control may not be aware of the process. The stakes and permit allows secondary road crews to know that the road is in the best shape before applying treatment, as well as seeing the stakes to know where not to blade the gravels once application is complete.

Bjerke noted there is no fee for a permit to apply dust control, but permits must be approved prior to application. 

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