T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY This portion of North 2nd Street heading north from the State Street intersection is one of many across the city of Marshalltown currently closed to thru traffic as part of an ongoing Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) milling and overlay project. During Monday night’s meeting, the Marshalltown city council unanimously approved a change order for an additional $574,092.65 that will increase the scope of the project and allow for more street repairs in the community.

Marshalltown residents and visitors — especially those traveling on the north side of the community — have been forced to seek out some alternative routes recently due to road closures tied to the long-awaited Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) milling and overlay project that got underway a few weeks ago. During Monday night’s meeting, the city council unanimously voted to add nearly $575,000 to its current contract with Manatt’s Inc., a move that will allow even more street sections to be repaired.

Public Works Director Heather Thomas told the council that the agenda item was an extension of previous discussions after Manatt’s was awarded a bid in the amount of $1,766,983.90 at the June 8 meeting — approximately $650,000 below the original engineer’s estimate — and the additional $574,092.65 up for approval would increase the amount of improvement work substantially.

She reminded the audience that the city has an interactive map on its website (https://www.marshalltown-ia.gov/858/Construction) providing details on all of the 2026 road right-of-way projects currently in progress.

“What we’ve tried to do is use the same principles we did to initially select those streets, but with one additional one where we’re extending the ones we were already working in so that the contractor can continue with the equipment that they have in that area,” Thomas said.

Because of the favorable bid package, the leftover funds from the original package will be put toward the change order, and the targeted areas include 1st Street (extending an additional two blocks), sections of 4th Street, 5th Street and Nevada Street, and some blocks down by Ferner, 1st Street and 2nd Street. Thomas warned the council that the aforementioned 4th, 5th and Nevada areas could need a higher level of patch work beyond basic milling and overlay.

News flashes are being posted on the city website and Facebook page to share updates on the project, including specific dates for expected milling, cleanup patching and inner layer asphalt. Thomas then verbally shared some schedule projections on when crews would be out working on various road sections within the next few days.

“Because of the condition of 4th Street, 5th Street and Nevada, that one will be immediately milled with the intent of the asphalt inner layer going down the next day. We are not comfortable with a lot of traffic on that street after we get that first milling lift up,” she said.

Streets that have already been milled are still open to local traffic, but city staff is asking anyone who does not live on them to avoid driving through them. As Thomas opened the floor up to council comments and questions, Councilor Greg Nichols said he was pleased that the budget would allow for more streets to be repaired, and he loved to see the progress and hear about it.

“Good work on our engineering staff. Manatt’s did a fantastic job on the bid, and so we support this and are very encouraged by this,” he said.

Councilor and Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Schneider commended Thomas for the communication via Facebook, and Councilor Melisa Fonseca asked about drivers traveling through the closed street sections, which prompted her to reiterate her point about allowing local access but urging everyone else to stay off the roads. Some sections, including one on South 1st Avenue, will require a full depth mill with even driveway access temporarily restricted for five residences.

“The biggest thing is please don’t park on the street. Once we start (the) milling process, until we get that asphalt inner layer on, no parking,” Thomas said. “Not only is the contractor doing door hangers on the actual residences, we are also going out a couple times a day and putting these no parking notices on any vehicles we see parked on the streets as well. But as far as local, immediate access to their driveways, yes, that is OK.”

She added that as the asphalt work progresses, a black oily mix will get on cars, transfer onto tires and then end up on adjacent streets.

“It is what it is. You will see it, just a heads up and be aware that that is gonna happen,” Thomas said.

Councilor Gary Thompson commented that nothing has made him happier in the last two weeks than receiving calls complaining about the road closures.

“I’m getting calls saying it’s a maze to get home, and I love that because we’re actually fixing these streets now. And so I just say ‘Yep, you’re welcome.’ So thank (you), all of you, for those calls,” he said.

During the public comment period, David Seuss told the council he was raised in Marshalltown, returned in 2014 and hit his first pothole within a couple of years, damaging his car. He wondered why it had taken so long to address the problem and wanted to know what the future would look like, if it would take another decade for the next round of maintenance and what had happened to Road Use Tax Fund (RUT) dollars in the past.

Schneider replied that the RUT budget had been discussed at a recent meeting and encouraged Seuss to watch the presentation, and Thompson said the plan moving forward is to do “a little bit of something” every year with a committee assembled by Mayor Mike Ladehoff planning to meet for the first time next month.

“There is a plan moving forward, so every year, we should see some barricades. So I’ll get a call next year,” Thompson said.

The motion to approve the change order resolution passed by a unanimous 7-0 tally.

Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.