Photo by Deb Gau A silt curtain hung into the Redwood River near the intersection of Saratoga and College Drive last week, while a drain pipeline was replaced.

MARSHALL — Construction on Saratoga Street in Marshall is continuing to make progress, Marshall Public Works Director Glenn Olson said. With the street pavement gone, work to replace utility lines is underway near the intersection of Saratoga and College Drive.

“There are a significant amount of utilities in that area that require either relocation or adjustment due to new utilities the city is installing,” Olson said. He said construction would continue east along Saratoga Street, past the Schwan’s Company offices, this week.

Olson estimated construction progress was running about a week behind, due to weather conditions. However, the first phase of the Saratoga Street project, from Southview Drive to C Street, was completed in time for the start of classes at Marshall Middle School.

The intersection of Saratoga Street and College Drive, as well as the portion of Saratoga Street still under construction, remain closed to traffic.

Some of the construction on Saratoga didn’t just affect the street. Last week, work on a drain into the Redwood River near the Saratoga Street bridge meant a specialized piece of equipment was put in place in the river.

Called a silt curtain, the equipment was meant to keep excess soil from getting into the river during construction.

“They’re taking out the existing pipe that goes into the river,” Olson said. “It is not in good shape.”

Olson said the drain would be replaced with a larger pipe. Any soil caught by the silt curtain would be pushed back into the riverbank.

Olson said work on other city construction continues. Construction on South Bend Avenue and Marguerite Avenue is “essentially complete,” he said. However, construction on Michigan Road and Superior Road has been difficult, especially because of recent wet weather.

“The biggest issue there has been rainfall,” Olson said.

Olson said earth work on an expansion for the city industrial park is being completed, and preparations are being made to extend Michigan Road. And in the next couple of weeks, he said, the city will begin putting in a new sidewalk along Legion Field Road near the tennis courts at Legion Field Park.