Highway stripe to be tested

WALKER - Cass County will try a new more highly reflective lane stripe paint on some paved county roads starting in 2010 when highway safety money will be available to help fund the project.

Kris Lyytinen, assistant county engineer, said the paint also is slightly raised, making it easier to see at night during heavy rains. It is supposed to last five years rather than one year in high traffic areas, he said.

Safety improvements the county plans this year will include installing rumble strips along the outside edges of County State Aid Highways 70, 77 and 18 around the west side of Gull Lake and on the southernmost segment of CSAH 1.

The county plans to continue chloride treatment of gravel roads carrying over 100 cars per day and will add gravel to some of those roads this year.

Cass County Board voted Tuesday to select the lowest of six bidders to move the Pine River depot away from Highway 371 right-of-way.

The county action is contingent upon Minnesota Department of Transportation approval.

This is the second time the county received bids for this project. The first time, some of the bids were incomplete, and the county rejected all bids.

Gopher State Contractors' low bid on this second round ran $203,576.99 for the base amount, $60,452.40 for alternate No. 1, $8,250 for alternate No. 2 and $11,440 for alternate No. 3.

County Engineer David Enblom reported he and Commissioner Bob Kangas met in Washington, D.C., for the county's annual trip to lobby for federal highway funds.

He said Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., chair of the House Transportation Committee, told them he plans to introduce a bill this summer to double from $250 billion to $500 billion the federal highway allotments for the next five years over the level the last five years.