MUSCATINE, Iowa – New Hampshire will be closed at least through Friday afternoon and work is progressing on South Houser Street according to Street Maintenance Supervisor Randy Howell.
New Hampshire was closed Tuesday at Pone Street for the Sewer Department to make repairs near that intersection. The repairs have been completed but the City will keep the street closed until hot mix asphalt can be applied (Friday morning) and allowed to cool. It is anticipated that the street will be reopened Friday afternoon.
South Houser Street from Lucas to Hershey has been closed since Tuesday for the safe removal of trees cut down and left just off the west side of the road last March. The closure has also allowed City crews access to the Houser Hill area to make temporary repairs to some of the bigger potholes with hot mix asphalt.
Howell anticipates that the tree removal will be completed on Friday but the street will have to be swept before traffic is allowed. A day to reopen the road has not been set but the City is working with the contractor to have the road open before the weekend.
With the Mississippi River remaining steady at around 23 feet over the weekend before beginning to recede again, Howell said that City crews will most likely start work to clean up Mississippi Drive on Monday. The street is currently closed from Mulberry to Pine, but flood waters have mostly receded out of the Iowa intersection and the City could reopen the street from Pine to Iowa sometime next week.
The rest of Mississippi Drive will remain closed until the flood waters have receded off the pavement and the street has had a chance to dry and be cleaned.