Detour in place for road project near Clatonia

BEATRICE – Construction work on one-mile of road between DeWitt and Clatonia got underway this week.  Gage County Highway Superintendent Mark Kuhnke says the work along Chestnut Road means a detour for a period of time.  "There is a detour route on that section on Cherry Road going west one mile to Southwest 114th...and then south back to Chestnut, which would be the DeWitt blacktop."

Kuhnke says the work area includes a temporary safety installation at the intersection of Cherry Road and Southwest 114th Road. "We will be adding temporary stop signs at that intersection for public safety during this detour route and construction. Once construction is complete, those signs will be removed. The intersection will be placed back into original status."

Work also continues on the bridge site at the east edge of Pickrell…..where a closed bridge is being replaced by triple concrete box culverts. "It looked like they were going to start backfilling the diversion channel and along the edge of the box. All of the roadway, or existing pavement has been removed. They will still need to fine prep it, grade it...and get it ready for pavement. That is the goal for this week."

During a short county board of supervisors meeting Wednesday, the board approved a lease of an open lot from the city of Beatrice for one-dollar per year, which gives the Gage County Highway Department yard some extra space…east of the highway office. It will allow the county to have additional space to store equipment including the temporary storage of stockpiled road material.

The supervisors also approved the lone bid the county received for snow removal services this upcoming season, around the courthouse, sheriff’s office and jail, evidence storage area and veterans’ service office.

Gage County Building and Grounds Supervisor Dave Jones says the final section of courthouse exterior preservation work is being completed. "Masonry Construction has gone completely around the building now. So this should be the end of them needing access to it."  Scaffolding is to be taken down along the east side of the courthouse where the main building entrance is located.  Replacement of some of the winter lights attached to the courthouse will be done in the coming days.

In other matters Wednesday….the county board renewed an agreement for three years with the University of Nebraska Medical Center for crime lab and forensic evidence testing.

Gage County Assessor Patti Milligan announced that her office will be closed for one day, coming up October 9th. That closure is to enable all staff members to participate in training on new computer systems used in the assessment process.