Codington County requests bids on “long overdue” road repair

J.T. Fey
·2 min read
Codington County commissioners want new bids to repair road that is difficult to plow in the winter.
Codington County commissioners want new bids to repair road that is difficult to plow in the winter.

Codington County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize a notice to bidders for reconstruction of 2 miles of County Road 20 that extend eastward from U.S. Highway 81 south of Watertown.

Banner Associates engineer Waylon Blasius and County Highway Superintendent Rick Hartley outlined the problems with the road, in part caused by some of it sitting below surrounding land. Hartley labeled the project as “long overdue.”

Hartley said in winter the road becomes too difficult to plow, and in the spring it becomes too wet and soft to grade. Work will include all new pipe and box culverts.

The right-of-ways will extend 33 feet from the road’s centerlines, but Blasius said the grade limits will exceed the entire 66 feet at times to make sure the ditches are built correctly.

Blasius said the nine landowners with adjacent property to the road have been “great to work with” and their main concern is that their topsoil removed during construction be replaced when the road is completed.

Bid opening is set for the commission’s July 9 meeting. The projected completion date is Nov. 1, 2024.

Work requirements this year are for a gravel surface, but Hartley told commissioners that his 2025 budget will included paving the 2 miles.

Codington County District 2 Commissioner election certified

Auditor Brenda Hanten reported that a recount conducted in the county District 2 Commissioner election confirmed that past commissioner Tyler McElhany had defeated incumbent Charlie Waterman 207-201.

Hanten said recounts will also be done for the District 5 Senate (Stephanie Sauder 1,868 votes vs. incumbent Fred Deutsch 1,804; District 5 House runner-up Josephine Garcia 1,098 vs. incumbent Byron Callies 1,077, and states attorney Alison Bakken 1,379 vs. incumbent Rebecca Morlock Reeves 1,336.

Facilities Manager Steve Mohlengraaf told commissioners work is progressing on the cooling system at the courthouse and is expected to begin next week at the detention center. In recreational information, Memorial Park campsite registrations have reached 919, reaching an income of $85,533.

In other park news, Terex Corporation of Watertown has donated 17 deciduous trees obtained through the National Resources Conservation Services. Some of the trees will go to Memorial Park and others to county locations in Watertown.

A Culex tarsalis female mosquito that was caught in a trap is held by tweezers will be tested for the presence of the West Nile virus at the Arizona Department of Health Services labratory in Phoenix, Arizona.
A Culex tarsalis female mosquito that was caught in a trap is held by tweezers will be tested for the presence of the West Nile virus at the Arizona Department of Health Services labratory in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mohlengraaf said an increase of culex tarsalis mosquitoes means some fogging will begin in Watertown next week. The mosquito can carry the West Nile virus.

In his report, Hartley said frequent rains are keeping highway crews from scheduled chip sealing of paved roads. He has been working with township officials to get culverts on minimum maintenance roads registered with the state’s Rural Access Infrastructure Funds program, designed to help townships pay for repairs.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Codington County commissioners want more bids for road repair work