Buena Vista County Engineer Bret Wilkinson provided the county board of supervisors an update during its weeky meeting Tuesday morning on Phase 3 of the Platinum Crush road project.
Wilkinson said he recently received a preliminary set of plans from the Iowa DOT and its consultant, HNTB. While not final, the documents will serve as a reference point during a site meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 1.
Wilkinson highlighted a 550-foot eastbound turn lane for trucks turning south onto 70th Avenue—which he said is more than double the standard length—designed to hold up to six trucks and reduce congestion near the railroad crossing.
Wilkinson also noted the intersection at 70th Avenue will be raised by roughly a foot to improve truck approach angles and sight distance near the tracks—a change Wilkinson said was “definitely needed.”
Other concerns, including spacing between the railroad and stop bar, and sight lines at 80th Avenue, will be discussed further at the Oct. 1 meeting.
Phase 3 will provide a direct route to the Platinum Crush facility east of Alta and is the final leg of the county’s road improvements tied to the project.
