City prepares for Highway 3 detour, hospital will use alternate entrance

(Map courtesy of City of Le Mars) If Highway 3 is detoured this summer and fall to allow for road widening work near Floyd Valley Hospital, the highway will be detoured through Le Mars. The detour will start east of Le Mars where traffic will turn south onto 14th Avenue Northeast, follow that street in to Second Street Southeast, where the detour heads west. Traffic will head two blocks north on Sixth Avenue, then connect with Highway 3 on Fourth Avenue East. The portion of Highway 3 to be closed for the planned work includes Floyd Valley Hospital's two main entrances, so an alternate route is suggested. [Click to enlarge]

According to plans, if the project is a go, traffic coming into Le Mars will be detoured south on 14th Avenue Northeast past the county law enforcement center.

Traffic will continue south until it reaches Second Street Southeast, where the detour heads west. Traffic will head two blocks north on Sixth Avenue, then connect with Highway 3 on Fourth Avenue East.

The portion of Highway 3 to be closed includes Floyd Valley Hospital's two main entrances.

City Administrator Scott Langel visited with ambulance and emergency responders Monday to explain the detour and the access to the hospital during the roadwork.

The hospital will be accessed via Sixth Avenue Northeast.

Safety concerns also received their share of discussion Tuesday at the Le Mars City Council meeting.

Council members expressed concern over an adequate number of stop signs on detour-designated streets during the project.

Councilwoman Delana Ihrke, one of the first to raise the safety issue, also recommended Plymouth Street as a possible detour option once school is out to prevent the intense traffic anticipated with the current detour plan.

Plymouth Street was originally considered as a detour route but was dropped based on the idea that the detour would bring highway traffic past the main entrance of Gehlen Catholic School.

Council members, sharing Ihrke's safety concern, acknowledged that the project and project dates aren't set in stone yet.

The final detour determination currently hinges on whether or not bids for the project come in at a level acceptable to city officials at the scheduled Iowa Department of Transportation bid opening June 16.

Council members indicated unacceptability of the bids could result in postponement of the project until next year.