Hallock streets set to be paved, dependent on the weather

By Anna Jauhola
It is a little unclear whether the streets in the Hallock street project will receive the first lift of pavement yet this fall. But, construction officials seem confident the project is on track for bituminous pavement by the last day of October.
During a street update meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9, Moore Engineering and Spruce Valley Corporation representatives visited and answered questions. Thus far, Douglas and Holly Avenue, Third and Fourth streets are all at least partially passable as utilities and reconstruction are done. These roads are ready for curb and gutter as well. But Fifth Street in front of the courthouse is still ripped up.
Bill Berg, on-site resident project representative for Moore Engineering, said the curb and gutter crew will start on Douglas Avenue. Once the curb and gutter is put in, they will also lay new concrete pads for driveways. Mayor Dave Treumer asked how long all that concrete needs to sit before people are allowed to drive on it.
“It should sit for about seven days,” Berg said.
Resident Karen Gubbels asked if they have to wait another three weeks to use their driveways after concrete is poured.
“Once the driveway is tied (into the curb) I think it’s pretty safe to drive on it after a day, once your driveway is put in,” Berg said. “It’s safe because basically the curb is pinned to the driveway with rebar. But if you drive over the curb without it being connected to something, it’ll break.”
Louie Cater, owner of Spruce Valley, said the subcontractor doing the curb and gutter work plans to be done with that portion in two weeks. Weather permitting, of course.
“We’ll have people freed up and we’ll try to work with them,” Cater said.
Zach Thoma, project manager for Moore Engineering, said all the streets will be “buttoned up and ready” within the next week. He noted that two parking spots in the new diagonal parking on the south side of the courthouse will be removed to keep two trees on either end of that south lawn.
Cater said Knife River, the paving subcontractor, has its hot mix bituminous plant sitting at the Halma location. Hallock Utilities Superintendent Dan Larson said they are also set to come to Hallock to patch some of the roads either this week or next. However, Spruce Valley has a plan of adding gravel to the roads and not adding a big crown, so water doesn’t gather at the edges.
“We’re going to go with planning that (the paving) is going to get done and for everything that we planned initially,” Thoma said.
He added the completed roads have passed compaction tests and are ready for pavement once curb and gutter are installed. Treumer said he was worried about poor compaction as previous projects have led to curb and gutter sinking toward the roadway.
On Holly Avenue, where the crews replaced all the sewer pipes, Berg said the clay pipes were so full of roots a mill and overlay would not have solved any problems. Now all the pipes are PVC, which have much tighter seals, and residents won’t have problems with roots. The city will still have to flush the pipe at least once a year, as the pipes are shallow and there’s not a lot of flow on the lines.
Moore Engineering and Spruce Valley will hold weekly update meetings through the end of construction this year. Those will be Thursdays at the Hallock City Hall. The public is welcome to attend to learn more and ask questions.
People can also look for a weekly update on the construction at hallockmn.org, or on Hallock’s Facebook page, or by calling Berg at 218-234-3299 or Thoma at 218-368-9955.

FIFTH STREET IN FRONT OF the Kittson County Courthouse was still under construction Thursday, Oct. 9. Two of the trees on the south side of the courthouse, pictured here, are set to be saved with the elimination of two diagonal parking spaces in that area.
(Enterprise photo by Anna Jauhola)