South DSM News

The Norwalk City Council recently discussed a major street renovation project.

During the Jan. 19 Norwalk council meeting, City officials opened a public hearing regarding a proposed project to widen the way at Beardsley Street and Iowa Highway 28. Wayne Schwartz, the City’s Public Works director, presented an overview of the project. The fairly extensive project starts at Park Place and continues, widening a lane and adding a trail that runs along the south side—which will be moved from the north side. The project will put the median back in the road and add new traffic signals at the intersection and new pedestrian crosswalks.

Additionally, the project will add a dedicated right-turn lane on each side of the intersection, a straight lane and a dedicated left-turn lane. The project will impact a long distance, going to Bryson and Cedar Drive, amending the intersection and widening lanes as well as working on some of the right-of-ways on and off the highway and connecting streets. The area has been under heavy development, which highlights the need for the work.

"So it's exciting," Wayne Schwartz, Norwalk's director of Public Works, said in the meeting. "I mentioned on Tuesday, it's going to be somewhat frustrating probably for people trying to get through during the five stages as part of it. Two or three of them will shut down the east side of Beardsley, so the detour around will be Apple Valley and North Avenue for those people trying to get over to the ridge from Highway 28."

The council decided to approve the project without an access point that would no longer be utilized by a local business. They also awarded the contract to Elder Corporation and approved a resolution handling the financing aspect for the City.

The project is tentatively scheduled to begin in March.