The third phase of the Iowa DOT’s Highway 18 Project should get underway later this week. Mathy’s Construction will lay down the final two lifts of asphalt, at which time a portion of Highway 18 will be one lane. Once the pilot car and flaggers are on the highway, area residents can expect delays for the next three to four weeks. Chris DeBack photo
Highway 18 project enters final phase
By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com
The third and final phase of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Highway 18 Project is set to get underway later this week barring any setbacks. This is a surfacing project that runs from Golden Road just east of West Union to the Turkey River Bridge in Clermont.
Danny Steenhard, IDOT construction tech field supervisor, noted that he expects Mathy Construction to bring its asphalt plant back into the area, and it could be here as soon as the end of the week.
“Right now, [Mathy Construction] is milling all of the butt joints for all the side roads and the beginning and ending of the project,” Steenhard said. “They do have some corrective work to complete. The four-foot widening on the high side of the curbs was installed incorrectly. They are going to come in and mill it off to the proper slope before they put any asphalt down.”
Once the plant is here, Steenhard said that Mathy Construction would start to put on the first layer of new asphalt, at which point a portion of Highway 18 between West Union and Clermont would become one lane.
“Hopefully, if everything goes right, the first lift of asphalt will be started by the end of this week,” the he explained. “As soon as they start, there will be a pilot car and flaggers on Highway 18 for the next three to four weeks.”