Mother Nature finally allows paving to begin on MC-CL link

(Above) Crews from Heartland Asphalt were busy Tuesday morning beginning to pave County Road B-35 between Clear Lake and Mason City.-Reporter photo.

The long anticipated paving of County Road B-35 has begun and forecasted dry days ahead should increase the likelihood the $3.1 million project will be completed by late fall.

According to County Engineer Mary Kelly, with reasonable weather, the Clear Lake to Mason City connection could be open by mid-November, or Thanksgiving.

County road B-35 was closed June 13 and completion was initially expected in late September.

Kelly estimates nearly 34 inches of rain has fallen at the construction site since June.  The wet conditions delayed dirt work on the two-and-one-half mile stretch of “Old Highway 106,” which included removal of the existing pavement, grading and widening for new pavement, construction of turn lanes at Jonquil, Killdeer and Lark Avenues, and relocation of the Trolley Trail bicycle trail near the intersections to accommodate the new turn lanes.

This week crews with Heartland Asphalt are paving the main line.

Some miscellaneous items may need to be completed in the spring, but none would require complete closure of the road, said Kelly.