The $3.1 million Cornville Road reconstruction should be complete by mid-October, slightly behind schedule due to some unexpected soil conditions near Windmill Park, according to Yavapai County Assistant Engineer Tim Stotler.

Although the project, funded from county sales tax, is a little behind, it is right on budget. No state or federal money was used to pay for construction, Stotler said.

The stretch of county highway between Tissaw and Aspaas roads has been under construction since June.

Planned since 2009, the project to widen the road and install medians and turn lanes is progressing as expected, with the exception of a patch of swampy ground engineers needed to shore up in August, he said.

“We had to do some redesign,” Stotler said. “The ground was very soft — quite muddy. We had to excavate it out and put in big rocks to stabilize it. By sealing the rocks with grout, we made a more stable type of layer that we can pave on.”

Engineers knew ground in the area would be soft but didn’t anticipate the full length and breadth of the unstable soil. A 150-foot-long section needed to be stabilized, he said.

Stotler complimented the project’s general contractor, AP&S of Prescott Valley, for its quality of work, high level of communication and willingness to adjust work schedules to accommodate Cornville residents and business owners.

Instead of starting at dawn, to take advantage of cooler temperatures in the morning, the contractor agreed to hold off until 8:30 a.m. so residents could take advantage of a commute to work free of delays, Stotler said.

To further minimize the impact on residents, the county built into the contract a provision that requires AP&S to limit the time motorists must wait in line to pass through the construction zone. Queues are not allowed to last longer than 15 minutes, he said.

The contractor also agreed to modify curb cuts when requested.