The city of International Falls will spend more than four million dollars on road improvement projects this summer.
City council approved contracts for three projects this week.
It includes improving a section of Second Avenue and Seventh Street, costing $2.5 million.
It is designated as a municipal state-aid street, allowing the city to receive state funding.
Street and Water Commissioner Ted Brokaw (bro-cow) says the work will include sewer and water and street lighting upgrades.
“Basically what we did is we’re borrowing $1.2 million, we’re encumbering years advances to be able to pull this project off,” says Brokaw.
Brokaw estimates some of the underground pipe to be at least 100 years old.
The project will also include extending a paved walking trail that currently stops at the end of Seventh Street to connect with one that goes out to the lake.
The city also awarded contracts for improvements to Ninth Avenue and an alley downtown.
The project in the alley will replace another 100-year-old water line.
“We’re going to go a block and a half with that from the museum to the bituminous parking lot on the east end of PCA,” says Brokaw.
The other project will happen on Ninth Avenue from Fifth Street to Eighth Street with a full-depth reclamation project.
Brokaw (bro-cow) says, unfortunately, all the bids came in higher than anticipated.
He says with the money they’re spending this year, reserves will have to be replenished for future work.
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