WILLMAR -- Just hours before the ribbon was cut and traffic was allowed to travel on it, a new stretch of road on the west side of Willmar was given a new number.
During their meeting Tuesday morning in Pennock, the Kandiyohi County Commissioners took action to designate the nearly mile-long road as County Road 5.
It had been given a temporary designation as County Road 47 -- the number of the existing section of road on the south end of the project area -- while it was being constructed through the old Willmar Airport site, which is now the location of an expanding Willmar Industrial Park.
Now the entire section of road is designated as County Road 5, and there is no County Road 47.
The commissioners also approved a resolution to give the parallel road farther west, which had been known as County Road 5 for years, a new name. It will now be called County Road 55.
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Both 55 and 5 are officially county-state aid highways, which is specified in the wording of the resolution. County state-aid highways are owned by the counties but designated as part of a system of roads for which counties receive state money for construction, improvement and maintenance.
People who live along the newly renamed County Road 55 will have to change their address, said Gary Danielson, county public works director.
That's about the only negative aspect anyone could find with the opening of the new section of four-lane divided highway that extends from U.S. Highway 12 to County Road 15 (County 15 becomes 19th Avenue in the city limits).
The new road will provide increased safety to travelers, reduce traffic on city streets and open up the new industrial park, Danielson said.
Of all the roads he's worked on during his 37 years as a civil engineer, Danielson said no other project will provide the greatest public benefit as the new County Road 5 link.
"It's such a benefit to the community," he said.
For the city it will take traffic off city streets and provide easy access to the new industrial park.
For the county as a whole it will provide a clear and easy route to medical or retail facilities by moving traffic on the west side of town to access points including Willmar Avenue and 19th Avenue.
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Danielson said the project, which began last fall and was constructed for approximately $2.9 million -- well under the $4.1 million bid -- will be a "well-used" and "worthwhile" project.
The federal government picked up $1,066,200 of the cost and the county's share is $1,133,530. The city paid $740,841 for construction of a large storm water retention pond, curb and gutter.
