Improvement project for Hwys. 9 and 76 getting underway

Intermittent lane closure will use flaggers and pilot cars

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) road/sidewalk improvement project for State Highways 9 and 76 through Waukon is now underway, getting its start on the north end of the Hwy. 9/Allamakee Street portion of the project Monday, April 1. Although there are not expected to be any total road closures or detours involved, motorists should expect delays from intermittent lane closures along the route throughout the project, which is anticipated to continue through the end of September. To help motorists navigate those lane closures, flaggers and pilot cars will be used to guide traffic during the construction process.

According to Pete Hjelmstad, Iowa DOT District 2 Field Services Coordinator, the project work will be completed in approximately four-block sections, beginning with patching/repair of the roadway followed by removing and replacing adjacent sidewalks in the same four-block section before moving on to the next four-block stretch of roadway/sidewalk. It is hoped to have the Allamakee Street patching/sidewalk replacement completed from the north end of the project to the Allamakee County Courthouse in about three weeks. Hjelmstad has advised that motorists stay alert, avoid distractions including cell phone use or texting, slow down and drive carefully through work zones for their own safety and the safety of others.