Stewart Road closed for pavement removal; county outlines detours and upcoming culvert work

Muscatine County crews began pavement removal on Stewart Road Monday, starting at the south end near Taylor's Market and progressing north, the county engineer told the Board of Supervisors. Engineers said the road closure will require a detour for much of the project, primarily along Pettibone and Wiggins roads; the county cautioned that motorists using Fruitland might encounter train blockages that can complicate local access. The county engineer said the first days of work may present a learning curve for traffic and that businesses have been engaged on staging and scheduling. Separately, a preconstruction meeting for a 160th Street box culvert is scheduled later this week, with the contractor aiming to be on site in September; another bridge/culvert project is moving into closeout. On sidewalk repairs, staff said the bid documents allow a late start date to avoid higher contractor pricing and permit some work to be completed next construction season; the county signaled the intent to avoid tight start-end schedules that could reduce bidder interest. Supervisors were briefed on coordination with Metro and local businesses for downtown work staging.