Despite social media posts saying it’s open, county engineer says B-35 south of Clear Lake still closed for trail project

CLEAR LAKE — You may have seen multiple social media posts this past weekend that said County Road B-35 on the south side of Clear Lake was once again open, but the county engineer says it is not open and he is pleading with the public not to drive or ride bicycles in the construction area as construction crews continue to try to complete the project.

The construction of the multi-use trail adjoining the north edge of the road, also known as 235th Street, between Balsam and Dogwood Avenues has been ongoing since May. The trail will connect with the Sisters Prairie Trail just west of Cardinal Avenue and ending at Dogwood Avenue.

County Engineer Brandon Billings says while the paving portion of the project is completed, crews this week are continuing to put in rumble strips and repaint the road.  “We’re close to having to get out the paint and put the rumble strips in. That’s going to be between the bike lane and the traffic, just so that anybody that’s driving down that road that might be distracted or for whatever reason move over toward the bike lane, they have an audible and a physical reminder not to continue to the north. That will be going in here shortly and hopefully we’ll get that opened in the next couple of weeks.”

Billings says if people are driving or riding their bicycle in the construction zone, it impacts the ability of the work crew to timely finish the project. Billings updated the project’s status at this week’s meeting of the Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors.