Signs of the old Highway 10 turnback work will be appearing this week on the east end of Staples, with major earth moving work getting going next week.

Tom Thompson, owner of Tom’s Backhoe, the general contractor on the $4 million project, said at the city’s May 28, pre-construction meeting, that his crews will begin this week putting up barricades and signs, performing some erosion control measures and will also begin removing utility poles. All this work will be on the east end of the project, in the vicinity of the Dairy Queen and the Super America station.

The first digging will be in that area also. “We’ll start at the west edge of 12th Street,” Thompson told city, county and state planners, as well as a group of most of the sub contractors on the project. “That will give Super America access to old Highway 10.” He also said they will keep the exit ramp off new Highway 10 open for now.

Tom’s Backhoe crews will return later this summer and tear up the 12th Street and Second Avenue intersection, which will mean the ramp will be closed

Beginning the week of June 6-12, crews will be digging up the easterly three blocks of old Highway 10 (Second Avenue), from 9th Street to 12th Street. Asphalt and concrete will be removed from the three blocks. Both 11th and 9th Streets will also

be torn up for one block be torn up for one block to the north.

Crews will be doing some clearing and grubbing, some transplanting of trees in that week, but the major work will be commencing the storm sewer replacement. Thompson said property owners can expect to see two or three crews working in front of their property. “Normally, we dig the street up three times.”

The sanitary sewer is usually the lowest and done first, followed by water main replacement and then storm sewer, if all three are in that block.

Thompson appeared confident that his crews can meet the Oct. 15 completion deadline, with one major question mark. “What will really affect this project is con- taminated soil,” he said. Preliminary soil tests have already identified nine different sites with probable fuel oil contamination, and the project’s engineers expect to find more.

All contaminated soil will be removed from the construction area, transported to designated city owned sites and stored until it can be properly treated and disposed of.

Thompson and engineers for the city and county have set 10 a.m. on Monday mornings for public progress meetings, with the first one Monday, June 7, at the Staples City Hall. The project will work its way west over the summer, with the same underground utilities and surface work also on the first and second blocks of Fourth Street, the city’s two prime commercial blocks. Thompson did not give a date for the Fourth Street work, but he said when crews start there, they will begin at Third Avenue intersection (Post office and Sacred Heart Church) and move south.

Thompson and subcontractors intend to keep affected properties serviced with all utilities during construction, keeping disruptions to a minimum.

The Old Highway 10 tTurnback Project is a joint effort of the state, county and city, with the Widseth Smith Nolting firm providing engineering services and overseeing the project. Funding for the project comes from state turnback funds and from Todd County state aid funds. There will be assessments to abutting property owners for a portion of the costs, with both city and utility funds also paying for a portion of the project.

During the process of designing and construction, the old Highway 10 roadway, or Second Avenue, has been designated as Todd County State Aid Highway 54. In addition, Fourth Street in Staples is also Todd County State Aid Highway 43, with the south two blocks of the road involved in this project.

The pre-construction session, which was chaired by Tim Houle, project engineer with Widseth, Smith Nolting, included representatives from city water and electric, natural gas, telephone, cable television and other utilities.

Old stop lights

The project will include the removal of the existing stop lights at Fourth Street and replacing them with a four-way stop. The old Highway 10 stop lights which were first put up in 1950, will be replaced first with four-way flashing red lights. After several weeks and after the signal lights are removed, the intersection will become controlled by a four way stop sign.

Tom’s Backhoe will set up their construction trailer in the city’s lot at 9th Street and Second Avenue. Construction materials, such as plastic pipe for sewer and water lines, will be stored there and at other city property.

Tom’s Backhoe crews will be doing the majority of the earth moving and related work. They will remove the old asphalt and concrete paving, perform the sanitary sewer, water and storm sewer excavating and replacement. They will also replace all dirt, fill and Class 5 gravel. Anderson Brothers of Brainerd is doing the bituminous paving, which will be done in three layers or lifts.

The concrete curb and gutter replacement will be done by Creative Curb, with concrete supplied by Knife River Concrete. Holden Electric of Brainerd is the electric sub contractor for the project, Doucette’s Landscaping of Little Falls is installing concrete pavers and retaining walls

Turnback party

The Staples Motley Area Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the beginning of the project with a ‘Stay on Track with the Turnback’ party starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 3, on Fourth Street in downtown Staples.

Residents and visitors are invited to attend and take part in events, which will include a sumo wrestling bout featuring the city’s mayor and city administrator.