A major pavement overhaul is now set to roll in Buena Vista County.
The county board of supervisors voted unanimously yesterday to award the contract for two long‑planned reconstruction projects — one on Business Highway 71 on Storm Lake’s north side, and the other on County Road N14 between Highway 3 and Albert City. The projects were designed separately but intentionally bid together as a single package to draw more competition and better pricing.
County Engineer Bret Wilkinson told supervisors the strategy worked exactly as intended.
The low bid came from Croell, Inc. of New Hampton at $11,149,889.85, a figure reviewed and approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Wilkinson recommended awarding the contract to Croell and authorizing him to electronically sign all required documents.
He noted that Croell has a strong statewide presence in paving and ready‑mix operations, even if they’re not a major player in northwest Iowa.
Once the contract is fully executed by the county, the contractor and the DOT, Wilkinson will schedule a pre‑construction meeting — a session that will include landowners along both corridors.
The contract includes a late start date of April 1, 2027, meaning working days will begin accumulating next spring whether or not crews are on site. But Wilkinson emphasized that the contractor is free to begin earlier once approvals are complete.
The county has spent more than a year preparing these projects for state letting. Earlier this spring, Wilkinson detailed the extensive structural failures on Business 71 and the need for full pavement replacement on N14 — including a major drainage fix at the C29 intersection. Both roads carry some of the highest traffic volumes in the county, and supervisors have repeatedly described the rebuilds as essential.
