Over $30,000 of additional work has been added to the ongoing project that’s designed to prevent future storm flooding at East 12th Street North and First Avenue East in Newton. The second phase of the project, which is the construction of a regional stormwater detention basin on a 1.5-acre city-owned lot north of Walgreen’s, is currently underway. Newton Public Works Director Joe Grife says the detention basin will hold stormwater during large rain events before releasing it into the existing storm sewer to prevent flooding. The project’s first phase involved the removal of a sanitary sewer siphon in the 1200 block of North 6th Avenue East. 

As work has progressed, Grife says several items have been discovered that require minor modifications and have increased the project’s cost by $33,264. Central Iowa Excavating of Kellogg won this work contract with a bid of $256,168, and has submitted a change order to the city for the additional costs.