It's one more time for First Street in Mandan. The original contractor, Northern Improvement Co., will move in sometime next month to tear out the old joints and pour new ones. City Engineer Tom Little said Wednesday. The city's contribution will be some of Little's time during the repair.
Expansion joints allow concrete to stretch and contract without breaking.
On the First Street project, there is one on either side of each intersection. Last summer, core samples were taken that found no fault with the concrete or the reinforcing steel. Concrete is poured under a variety of conditions, and sometimes you get unlucky. The city is anxious to get the repair out of the way before the tourist season. Northern Improvement Vice President Brad Ballweber said his company will move in as soon as the frost is out of the ground and the nighttime temperatures are above freezing.