Phase One of Central Corridor Project Likely to be Completed by the End of the Month

It's been a long time coming, but Phase One of Marion's Central Corridor street construction and town beautification project is nearing completion.

Dan Whitlow, Marion City Engineer, said that the project should be completed by the end of the month if all goes well. He said despite some time overages by the contractors, Rathje Construction Company, he is pleased overall with the quality of the project, which included improvements on Sixth Avenue from Eighth Street to Thirteenth Street

"Definitely it is going to be a nice improvement for the city of Marion," Whitlow said.

Whitlow said all that remains of Phase One of the project is the pouring of sidewalks in front of City Hall, and the installation of landscaping and decorative fencing nearby.

Whitlow said that Rathje had exceeded the 100 construction work days stipulated under the original contract with the city roughly by the end of October. He said Marion will be reimbursed for this in the form of liquidated damages.

"We are still paying for the work being done and they are paying a penalty for the time being worked over the limit as well as the delays for transportation," Whitlow said.

Rathje was the lowest bidder for the project when it was awarded by the city back in April for $2.7 million. 

Once Phase One is completed, and there are four phases yet to go in the project, which were developed by Cedar Rapids firm Anderson Bogert, he said. The beginning of the next phase, however, will depend on adjacent development so the start date of Phase Two has yet to be determined.

More information on the project can be found here at the Central Corridor project website.