Temporary concrete mixing facility takes up ‘shop’ on west side of Mountain Lake
Piles of crushed red rock, sand, ground up asphalt, a concrete mixer – and lots and lots of semi trucks and dump trailers are staged and ready to roll into action. Here lies the future of Cottonwood County Road #1 – from Highway #30 to Cottonwood County Road #27.
A temporary concrete mixing facility has taken up “shop” in a lot on the west edge of Mountain Lake’s city limits as the County 1 overlay project moves toward its completion.
Earlier this summer, crews were busy doing “mill work” on County 1, removing the asphalt to a selected depth, crushing it – and saving it.
Eventually, the PCC (Portland Cement Concrete) overlay will be placed on this section of County 1.
Because of the road work, County 1 is closed from Cottonwood County Road #27 (Third Avenue) in Mountain Lake, stretching north to Highway 30. A detour is in effect until Tuesday, October 17.
The official detour for County 1 is Watonwan County Road #5, running north through Butterfield to Highway 30, east of Darfur. One “unofficial” detour in the county includes Cottonwood County Road #29, which goes north out of Mountain Lake past the lake, and continues north to Highway 30, turning to gravel following the intersection with Cottonwood County Road #3. A second “unofficial” route is Cottonwood County Road #8, located east of Mountain Lake. From its intersection with Minnesota State Highway #60 on the west side of the New Vision Elevator, the gravel road continues north to Highway 30. Another option route would be to take Cottonwood County Road #2, located east of Bingham Lake, from Highway 60 north to Highway 30 to the west of County 1.
Only local traffic is allowed on County 1 during construction (local traffic means a mailing address of County 1, and the only access to home or business is County 1). All other traffic MUST use the detour route.
An additional part of the county’s construction work on County 1 this summer included a bridge replacement located between Cottonwood County Road #3 and 350th Street.
Meanwhile, in the City of Mountain Lake, two blocks of sewer line and one block of water line between 3rd Avenue and 6th Avenue were replaced this construction season. The work included the elimination of one block of water main along County 1 between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue, along with replacing the block of water main between 3rd Avenue and 5th Avenue with new 8″ diameter main. Sewer was also be replaced, with new 12″ lines laid between 3rd Avenue to 6th Avenue, along with reconnecting service to Town’s Edge Auto.
That water and sewer work done by the city and utility was a move to pre-empt any possible future water or sewer issues in the area, as the county does not want any cutting into or digging up of the new concrete.
