For the asphalt crew, a great deal of the summer has been bouncing all over the Muscatine and Cedar County areas working on various projects. Muscatine Power and Water in particular was extremely challenging with the one hundred degree temps and high volume of hand work, do to little nooks and crannies that pavers won’t fit into, however I heard no complaining (while I was there).

From there Jeff and the guys landed at the Durant High School for an improvement project. This project consisted of around 2400 ton of HMA, 1100 ton of stone base, and several feet of HMA curb. 

As for the rest of the HMA season I can’t see it being a late one right now, however, we are still finding work to bid almost every other day, and still have various projects to keep us busy for a while such as, turn lanes and side roads on HWY 38 for the Newton Portable, several parking lots, along with a bunch of patching for Muscatine County.

The crack fill crew and leader Larry Samon have, at this time, another month in Des Moines working mostly nights on various busy roads like HWY 141, Hickman Road, Merle Hay, and Euclid. These guys will go through around 66 pallets of hot pour and 5000 cups of coffee before completing this project. Night work is dangerous and in these areas there is a fair volume of traffic.  These guys have been performing extremely well under the conditions, keep up the good work.

Meanwhile, Mike Weir and his guys have been working on I-80 ramps from Malcom to Des Moines. They also spent a few days sawing joints in an asphalt overlay on Lincoln Way for Duane in Ames. Mike also has 8 tennis courts to color for Norris in Fairfield.

Both of these crews have a very challenging fall season this year, also, with work still to be completed in Adair and Ringold Counties.

Last, but not least, Larry Senger  and his gang have been keeping the local seal coat and crack fill market at bay just having completed jobs in Muscatine, Blue Grass, Iowa City, Davenport, and Buffalo.  They still have a few nice jobs coming up: one at Friendship Manor in Rock Island, Illinois, is a assisted living apartment were they will be spraying around 2000 gallon.

This crew will also be helping Mike Weir color coat those 8 courts in Fairfield.

One final note, so far this season at Illowa we have been free of accident and injury. Way to go crews!