Rockwell bridge projects on track for November completion

Construction on three bridges in the Rockwell area is drawing to an end.

Pete Hjelmstad, field services coordinator with the Iowa Department of Transportation, said the three bridge replacement projects on Highway 65 through Rockwell “remain on schedule” for later this month.

“We’re still looking at mid- to late-November,” he said, regarding a completion date.

Work on the project began in the spring and required a detour from B60 to S34 and over on B43 at Burchinal. Hjelmstad said that while the project nears completion, motorists are urged to continue to follow the marked detour.

The completion of the bridge projects coincides with the recent opening of Highway 65 through Hampton. In October, DOT crews completed the construction of two bridges through town by the Hampton Cemetery and Harriman Park.

Hjelmstad said checking five bridges off the list at one time is both a great accomplishment for the DOT and a matter of convenience for motorists and businesses affected by the road closures.

“It’s really nice to be able to get this chunk of projects done, especially when you have three bridges in such a short area,” he said. “It’d be frustrating to do one bridge each year and have three years of detours.”

He added that the DOT is pleased with the progression of the Rockwell project, as it has remained on schedule since construction began earlier this year.

“We had one cold snap last week that may have slowed things down for a few days but now we’re at a stretch where we made that up quickly,” he said. “Weather played a big role in our progress and everything seemed to go well. It’s nice to have projects this size go so smoothly and get things completed on schedule.”