Concrete being poured on 4th Street project

For Superior area residents the summer of 2023 has been a summer of road construction and it is not over yet.

A weekend drive-by inspection of the work underway on the Highway 14 bridge over the Republican River, indicated it was about time for the last concrete pour. On Sunday construction workers were preparing a section of the banister for replacement. Traffic over the bridge has been maintained but restricted to one 11-foot lane. Because of the lane restriction, trucks hauling some wide loads have had to find other routes.

Work still to be finished on the Highway 14 Republican Valley bridges includes adding a membrane surface.

As the bridge work has taken longer than expected resurfacing of the highway has been delayed but that work is expected to get underway in September. Resurfacing is scheduled for portions of the highway north and south of Superior and in Superior.

The movement of a utility line in north Superior has been completed as has the relocation of a water main along East Third Street.

The utility line relocations had to be finished before work can begin on the actual highways.

Before East Third Street work is completed, a center turn lane is to be added from Hartley Street east to a bit east of Canal Street.

After several days, with no apparent progress, work resumed last week on the Fourth Street project which has limited truck access to the diesel fuel pump at the Casey's store. A few truck drivers have been willing to back their trucks to gain access to the fuel island.

Workers now seem to be making rapid progress. By Monday morning much of the new curb had been poured and forms were being set for pouring of the concrete driving surface. Later that day a portion of the north side of the street was poured. Tuesday morning a portion of the east bound lane was poured.

The late August, 1938, papers also contained big news for Nuckolls County motorists.

The first carload of liquid asphalt had been delivered to the Smyrna siding by the Burlington railroad. This was considered an indication the hard surfacing of the highway between Superior and Nelson would soon begin. And now, 85 years later, it will be big news again for motorists traveling between the two towns, when the resurfacing work begins.

Twenty years ago significant improvement work on Highway 4 east of Lawrence had had some setbacks but it was hoped asphalt would be laid by mid-September and the project completed by Nov. 1.

The Superior area isn't the only area with road construction. Motorists traveling north are encountering delays between Clay Center and Highway 6.

Some Superior Wildcat Football team fans going to Alma Friday night encountered a nearly 30 minute delay because of highway construction.