U.S. 14A improvements scheduled to begin April 13 between Powell and Ralston; public meeting is scheduled

POWELL, Wyo - A public meeting is scheduled for April 13 in the City of Powell City Council Chambers concerning upcoming highway improvements on U.S. 14A between Powell and Ralston.

Prime contractor Mountain Construction Co., of Lovell will run the 10 a.m. public meeting, during which the contractor will present its upcoming project schedule for the $5.26 million project. A question-and-answer period will be part of the public meeting.

Mountain Construction and its subcontractors are tentatively scheduled to set up traffic control in the westbound lane of U.S. 14A from Cheyenne Street to South Edmonds Street on April 13 for the removal and replacement of broken curb and gutter, double gutter, sidewalk and Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades.

"One-lane traffic will be carried in the inside lane while work is completed in the outside lane adjacent to the curb and gutter," said Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer Todd Frost of Cody.

The "Powell West" project begins at milepost 18.689 (at the railroad tracks in Ralston) and extends east 5.1 miles to Powell, ending at milepost 23.789 (Cheyenne Street).

Work on the project includes rotomilling the existing highway driving surface, placing a two-inch asphalt pavement overlay and a 3/4-inch asphalt wearing course, chip sealing county road approaches, minor slope flattening, ADA upgrades, replacing broken curb, gutter, double gutter and sidewalk, and other improvements.

"As a two-block section finishes, work will proceed two blocks west at a time for the concrete work through the road's curb and gutter section," Frost said. "Once work is completed in the westbound lane of U.S. 14A, work will switch to the eastbound lane in the curb and gutter section.

"A 12-foot width restriction will go into effect for the project starting April 13," Frost said.

Highway accesses will be maintained during construction. Pedestrian traffic will be diverted around the work zone, Frost said.

Frost said rotomilling of pavement is tentatively scheduled to begin after the July 4 holiday.

"Paving is tentatively scheduled to start toward the end of July and will continue in August," Frost said.

Information about this news release may be obtained by contacting WYDOT public relations specialist Cody Beers at (307) 431-1803-.