Smoother travel is ahead: the emergency project to repair winter damages to Highway 75 is set to begin the week of April 17. Travelers will experience some temporary lane closures during this work, but north/south travel should remain open.
The Iowa DOT, which owns and maintains Highway 75 through Sioux Center, is undertaking this project for areas from 9th Street S to 15th Street N where winter left significant potholes and cracks.
Knife River, the project contractor, will mill and resurface areas of pavement in varying widths, from 4-12 feet. Work is planned to start in the northbound lane near the 9th Street S stoplight intersection, and continue toward 15th Street N, before turning to work southward in the southbound lane. The crews will first mill 3 inches of road surface and lay the first 1.5 inches of asphalt for impacted areas. Then they will repeat the loop, laying the final 1.5 inches of asphalt.
Travelers will experience moving traffic controls as lane closures shift with the crews. There will be short-term closures at some intersections and brief interruptions to property access as the work moves.
“We appreciate the DOT’s willingness to do an emergency overlay to facilitate travel for the next few years until Highway 75 is rebuilt, and we appreciate everyone’s patience through the winter with road conditions through Sioux Center,” Sioux Center Assistant Utilities Manager Adam Fedders said.
Highway 75 will be reconstructed in phases from 20th Street S to 12th Street N in 2023-25. This 2.5-mile project is replacing aging pavement and rebuilding the highway in a safety-based design with two lanes of travel in each direction, center turn lanes, and medians. This is a shared project between the DOT and the City. Phase 1, from 20th to 13th Street South, is currently underway. The DOT emergency repair project addresses the area north of Phase 1, which will be fully reconstructed in 2024-25.