A summer construction project the City of Perry was hoping to have completed before school starts next month looks like it is going to take more time than originally planned.

City Administrator Butch Niebuhr says the first step was waiting for MidAmerican Energy to move their gas line out of the way so the grading process could begin and that has been an ongoing project for the last three weeks.  Public Works Director Jack Butler reported Monday that he expects crews to start construction on the street next week.

The project was bid through the Iowa Department of Transportation, so Niebuhr says the City didn’t have much say in how long the project takes. The $1,130,000 project was awarded to Elder Construction by the DOT last month.