When the three phases of resurfacing on County Highway F-48 West from Newton to the Polk County line is completed next year, the entire project will have a uniform look and added safety features. A Federal Highway Safety Improvement Grant of $500,000 was approved by the Jasper County Board of Supervisors Tuesday for phase three of the resurfacing, which is from Colfax to the Polk County line. Jasper County Engineer Mike Frietsch says the County has been granted Federal Safety Funds for each phase of the project.

“We got like over $900,000 on the first phase, then we got half a million on the second phase and another half a million on this one. So we have received a pretty good amount of grant funding for this project all together, to make the whole corridor consistent from Newton all the way over to Polk County.”

Features the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Grant provides include 2-ft paved shoulders with a safety edge, shoulder and centerline rumble strips, guardrails, pavement markings with a grooved-in 6-inch edgeline, and new curve and chevron warning signs and posts.

Phase three of the Highway F-48 West resurfacing will take place next year. Phase two, from the South Skunk River bridge just south of Interstate 80 to State Highway 117 in Colfax, is currently underway. InRoads LLC of Des Moines is doing the 3.1 mile project for $2.55 million. Phase one, from Newton to the South Skunk River bridge, was completed this past summer.