Charles City Main Street Rehab Ahead of Schedule, Even With a “Do Over” Here and There

The rehabilitation of North Main Street in Charles City is pacing ahead of schedule, even with the occasional “do over” in construction.

City Administrator Steve Diers says crews were working to replace some curb and gutter that was installed in the 400 block of North Main.

Diers says addressing those types of fixes is aided by “before” and “after” pictures throughout the construction process.

Diers adds that the bulk of the curb and gutter work for the project is expected to be completed within the next couple of weeks which should allow for asphalt replacement to start in mid-August.

However, the City will not pave the Main Street Bridge after its life expectancy was cut shorter by flooding in June, causing the almost 115-year-old bridge to be  closed for over two weeks after being bombarded by trees and debris from the swollen Cedar River. 

When it reopened, a restriction was put on the bridge limiting weight to 28 tons. Diers says with the expectation now of the structure needing to be replaced within the next decade or so, the City won’t get the life out of the new pavement for what the cost investment would be. Still, he adds they will do some things to enhance the look of the Main Street Bridge.