Clark Street Construction Efforts Begin Phase two

Students returning to campus this semester were in for a surprise: Clark St. construction. 

On July 10, the city of Vermillion closed Clark St. from Prentiss Park to University St. at Slagle Hall. This section reopens this week, bringing an end to a detour from Prentiss St., down to Main St. and to University.

Per the city’s press release, the project aims to replace the water mains and storm drains, as well as some of the existing curb.

This week, the city begins phase two of their construction, working from Slagle Hall down to Dakota St. 

A temporary crosswalk will be available at the Harvard St. intersection for students going to and from Lee Med, but will eventually be closed when construction reaches the intersection.

According to City Engineer Jose Dominguez, this is not the first time the water mains have been replaced.

“We don’t have records of when it was installed originally, but we believe it was installed prior to the 50s,” Dominguez said. “The water main that we are replacing was not the original, it was a replacement.”

He says the project will cost the city over $2.2 million dollars.

As of now, Dominguez says the city has no plans to start similar projects.