Final plans have been approved for a half mile road improvement project north of Valeria, on the western edge of Jasper County. Jasper County Engineer Mike Frietsch says North 51st Avenue West will undergo a hot mix asphalt full depth reclamation by the Hilltop Estates subdivision.

“The existing road is a poor quality asphalt, it’s not going to sustain all the construction traffic coming into Hilltop Estates or anything else that would happen on that road to the east.”

Frietsch says the existing material will be treated with cement and the base will be widened out, and then the road will be covered with four inches of new asphalt. Other fixes that will be made along this section of road include driveways and culvert pipes. Frietsch says bids for the work will be sought in July, but he’s unsure if the project will be completed yet this year.