With city street improvements, comes a little inconvenience.
And the City of Fort Scott has two projects on National Avenue in the works.
National from 13th to Wall
A pavement preservation project began on April 13 and will continue through next week.
National Avenue from 13th Street to Wall Street will be affected by this project, with one lane open at all times, according to a City of Fort Scott press release. Each day, specific sections of the street will be targeted in an effort to mitigate the impact on local businesses.
“This project is being performed…by Proseal Asphalt Preservation,” Fort Scott City Manager Jeremy Frazier said.
He said the contract for this work was awarded in November 2020, prior to his arrival as the city manager.
The first phase is completed, phase two started yesterday.
“Proseal is currently prepping the cracks in the pavement by blowing them out with extremely high-pressure air blowers to address heavily damaged and cracked street areas.”
“On Thursday they will be going back through those same cracks starting at the bridge near the Marmaton River… but this time they will be blowing the cracks and then filling them immediately thereafter street (with) crack filling solution,” he said. “This will reduce further damage to the roads and extend the life of the streets. The debris will be blown to the side of the streets and the larger portions taken away.”
Friday, workers will finish what is needed from Thursday’s work.
“If the weather cooperates, it is expected that this process will conclude by Monday of next week,” Frazier said.
City employees will use the street sweeper to remove debris, Frazier said.
“City staff has reached out to the affected businesses along National to provide notices of the work to be performed,” Frazier said.
The cost of the second phase work was quoted to be roughly $38,000, Frazier said.
National From Hwy. 69 to 13th
A second project will begin in late spring 2021 for a mill and overlay project on National between 13th Street and Hwy 69, Frazier said.
“We received heavy rains a few weeks ago that resulted in the drastic deterioration of National (Avenue) near Hwy. 69,” Frazier said.
At an unrelated meeting with KDOT, Frazier mentioned this deterioration.
KDOT informed Frazier that there was a possibility of piggybacking on the mill and overlay work that was soon to begin on Hwy. 69 by Bettis Asphalt.
The news couldn’t have come at a better time, he said.
“After checking with the city attorney, and given the water-related damage that had occurred on National, coupled with the possibility of adding to a project currently underway, I felt that it was necessary to address the damage as quickly as possible,” Frazier said.
The city staff requested a bid from contractor Bettis Asphalt, to add National Avenue up to 13th Street from Hwy. 69 onto the existing project, he said.
The company was already going to pave a small portion of the entrance from Hwy. 69 onto National Avenue.
“It made sense to take advantage of this contractor’s presence for a few additional and recently damaged blocks,” Frazier said.
The quote was received on April 6, 2021, in the amount of $116,350.50 and presented to the Fort Scott City Commission for consideration and possible approval.
They approved the project and it is estimated that the project begins in late May or early June after the completion of the US-69 project, Frazier said.
“This project will consist of milling the existing asphalt over the bricks and the replacement of a 1.5” overlay on top of those bricks,” he said. “There is a possibility that in an effort to save or reduce project costs that the city may offer street sweeping services for cleanup during the project. Otherwise, this project would be completely executed by Bettis Asphalt.”
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Please contact City Hall at 620-223-0550 for questions.
