OPEN FOR TRAVEL – Newton Daily News

After months of work, Highway F-48 west of Newton and east of Colfax is reopened. The Jasper County Engineer’s Office announced the unofficial opening on August 8.

“The roadworks should be completed by the end of the week, weather permitting,” the department said. “The markings will be ready soon, we are still waiting for confirmation of the start date.”

In mid-March, work began on the resurfacing project on the section known locally as Old Highway 6. The 5.8-mile road from the South Skunk River to the Newton city limits was the first phase of the project, which will see the county tackle a total of 13.9 miles of highway.

“Although this important connection between the Polk County border and the western city limits of Newton has not seen significant improvements since the 1970s, we are committed to changing that through careful planning and consistent implementation of a comprehensive rehabilitation project,” the department said. “Repaving this highway is a project that the Jasper County Engineer’s Office and the Department of Secondary Roads have made a priority. Due to the length of this highway and a relatively short construction season here in Iowa, our current plan is to break this project into three phases over the next three years.”

Work completed included removal of existing pavement and replacement with 8 inches of concrete at the intersection with Interstate 80, the rural section of Highway F-48 was milled three inches and replaced with a 3/8 inch thick asphalt mix for the base course and a 1/2 inch thick asphalt mix for the top course. Within the rural section of this project, a 2 foot wide shoulder and safety curb will be constructed. The urban section, from approximately 400 feet east of West 36th Street North to Thomas Jefferson Drive, was milled three inches and replaced with a 3/8 inch thick asphalt mix for the base course and a 1/2 inch thick asphalt mix for the top course.

The second phase of the Highway F-48 West project will complete work from the eastern city limits of Colfax to the South Skunk River and is scheduled to occur between June and August 2025. The final phase will complete work from the Polk County line to the western city limits of Colfax and will begin in June 2026 and, weather permitting, be completed by August 2026.