The University Drive reconstruction project has gone smoothly this summer, unencumbered by rain, heat or the unexpected mother duck and her brood who managed to cross the road to the nearby storm sewer ditch with a little help from human friends.

Even this week's crossover of traffic from the old section to the newly rebuilt lanes on the west side of the road was accomplished with little fanfare, and the transition has gone smoothly, according to Bruce Thompson, spokesman for general contractor Northern Improvement.

"Monday we switched traffic and it went really well," Thompson said. "The Jersey barriers are now gone, and we've removed some of the old pavement starting at the south end of the project. On a good day we'll remove about 600 feet of the old asphalt."

Ted Heinert, of North Dakota's Department of Transportation, notes the asphalt being removed is 10 inches thick and will be replaced with a 5-inch layer. The reason for the 10 inches is because of all the patchwork and overlays of the road dating back many years. Mark Berg, city traffic engineer, notes the road was once part of he county system before being turned over to NDDOT. The section under construction is about a mile long between Bismarck Expressway and South 12th Street.

Next week, Cofell Plumbing and Heating will begin final installation of the storm sewer, which Thompson said will take about two weeks. Northern will start subcutting the road on the east side, having to dig down over 3 feet in some areas to level the lanes with the finished pavement.

Berg says there have been no significant complaints on the project, and traffic has been moving smoothly during peak usage periods. Near the project's completion, traffic-actuated signals will be put in at the intersections of Denver and Wachter avenues, which Berg says will significantly improve traffic flow - particularly at Denver, which gets a lot of use in the morning and afternoon as students are dropped off and picked up at Wachter Middle School.

Cement work at the intersection with Expressway is about a month away, according to Thompson, though only two of the six lanes remain to be completed. The entrance to the Holiday Service Station will remain open during the work.

Denver and Wachter intersections, on the west side of the project, are complete and will remain open. The mobile home court on the east side of the reconstruction has four accesses. Two of these will remain closed until the project's completion, while efforts will be made to keep Wachter and American avenues open to access Basin, which serves several businesses on the project's south side.

Plans are to start laying asphalt by about Labor Day.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)