Tand Construction, LLC, Mandan, is in Rugby laying new sidewalks near Ely Elementary school, near Little Flower School, and near the ball diamonds across from Ellery Park.

It is Rugby’s Safe Routes to School project. Tand Construction began work on the $200,000 project in mid-June. The company will take a break from July 1-4 so work won’t be taking place the weekend of Pierce County’s 125th Celebration.

The project is being paid for from a $150,000 Safe Routes to School grant from the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and $50,000 the city had budgeted for the sidewalk project.

The work was scheduled to begin on June 1 and be completed by August 1. However, a glitch in the contractor’s schedule delayed the start to around June 16. It will still be completed by August 1.

The sidewalks are on fourth street SW across from Ellery Park and further down on fourth street southwest on the same side of the street as the south side of Ellery Park. Across the street from the west side of Ely Elementary School on third street southwest where there was broken sidewalk, on second avenue southwest on the east side across from Ely School and on third avenue southwest across the street to the west of Ely School. On fourth street southeast from third avenue to second avenue, the crew will remove and replace curb and gutter at the corner of third avenue and fourth street as well as put in concrete sidewalk the length of that block between second and third. Handicap accessible ramps are being created on corners of some of those streets.

Some of the sidewalks are badly in need of replacement. In at least one place sidewalks will be put where there have been none. Each of these improvements will make it safer for children to walk or ride bikes to school.