MASON CITY – Sewer line work in Mason City on Highway 122 was halted this week as the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) completed an assessment of the highway, city officials indicated.
Sewer line work is set to commence this coming week.
The Iowa DOT has been conducting a National Environmental Policy Act study, or NEPA Study, on the Highway 122 corridor jointly with the city of Mason City. The city contributed $20,000 toward the cost. The city is considering a major change to Highway 122 from Monroe Avenue to Carolina Avenue, possibly eliminating the one-way flow of traffic.
The Iowa DOT informed NorthIowaToday.com recently that it is nearing completion of the study.
“We developed two concepts for pavement reconstruction on the one ways from Monroe Avenue eastward to Carolina Avenue,” said Krista Rostad, Iowa DOT District 2 Transportation Planner. “These concepts were displayed and discussed at a public meeting on June 14, 2012. We will be working to hold a public hearing early this fall to meet with the public ad reach a preferred alternative.”
The DOT said that elements of the NEPA study included an environmental review which looked at wetlands, endangered species, hazardous materials, historical and cultural interest items along the corridor.
“These are required items to examine and document in a NEPA study,” said Rostad. “The concepts looked at existing and projected traffic volumes, crash history and potential solutions, turning movements, ROW, entrances, signalization, pedestrian and bicycle considerations, unused parking areas, and turn lanes, to name the majority. The concepts include a Fire Department access road directly south of their garage doors for the trucks to immediately travel eastbound, straightening the tight curves near Massachusetts Avenue, and lane alignment on Pennsylvania Avenue intersecting with 5th Street.”
Rostad said that the city of Mason City is strongly supporting bike lanes along the corridor to meet their Blue Zones Project Initiatives. She also indicated that “during the project, all sidewalk curb ramps will become ADA compliant, the city will consider their traffic signals and utilities for replacement as will the private utilities.”
There is no funding for this project at this time, Rostad said. “Design will be the next stage when the study is complete and approved by the Federal Highway Administration. We hope design can begin in the spring of 2014.”
2 thoughts on “Sewer line work in Mason City on Highway 122 halted as Iowa DOT completes assessment”
If it were in the interest of safety, simple closings and signage would suffice on the current layout.
But if it were meant to confuse travelers, create congestion, and dampen economic conditions for businesses currently on that route, they would do a great job.
During the construction last year, it was not unusual to see one and two block back ups at the light at U.S. 65, in addition to truck traffic trying to navigate turns from the single lane to local businesses. In some locations, it would require traffic in both directions to stop as a semi made either a left or right hand turn.
There would be insufficient space for getting out of the way of emergency vehicles, which traverse the route frequently.
Dumb adaptation.
Other than smoothing out the curves east of Monroe and the one at Massachusetts, I’m thinking that the traffic pattern has worked good since it was established in the 60’s. The only historical interest that is/was along this corridor was the College Inn, and it’s been gone what seems like a long time. So now we’re going to change the traffic pattern, because?????