— Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Anne Blankenship Work is progressing on the Second Street reconstruction project. City officials said the $3.7 million project is on track to be finished as planned in November or possibly sooner.

Officials with the city of Webster City say the work on the Second Street reconstruction project is moving along a good clip and may in fact be a bit ahead of schedule.

The first phase of the $3.7 million 2020 Second Street Reconstruction Project began on March 23 with the closure of Second Street between Prospect Street and Beach Street.

Matt Alcazar, project coordinator, said the project was on track to finish in November as planned.

“There’s an early completion incentive if the work is completed early, so they are shooting for that,” he said.

The project has taken the street down to the dirt and will replace sewer, water and storm drainage along Second Street. Then a new concrete road surface, new curbs, sidewalks and new street will be installed.

The sewer and water work in the first block, between Prospect and Broadway Streets is complete and the crews have moved onto the second block, from Broadway to Grove Street.

“They’re working on the sewers now, and those are pretty much done. They’ll transition over to work on the water next,” Alcazar said.

With the east-west road closures on Second Street, the city has set up several detours to help residents navigate the area and still be able to access businesses near the road construction.

“In general, you should be able to approach the area under construction, either from the north, the south, the east or the west and be able to determine where you need to go to get to your destination,” City Manager Jeff Sheridan told the Daily Freeman-Journal in March.

“I would say the biggest complaint we’ve gotten is that there have been people going the wrong way down one-way streets,” Alcazar said. “We need to make sure people are watching the signs and going the right way on the one-way streets.

“Obviously, construction season can be confusing, and people may not be as receptive as they could be. But the detours are for their safety as well as the construction crews.”

The 2020 Second Street Reconstruction Project was approved by the City Council on March 3, when it awarded Rasch Construction Inc., of Fort Dodge, with the $3,736,816.71 contract for the project.