The light is getting closer
The light at the end of the road that is! Work continues to go smoothly and the weather is mostly cooperating (though I have some complaints about that personally…) so we are well on schedule to see pavement begin to go down next week. Here’s the schedule as I know it (as always, weather dependent so it could shift a day or so in one direction or another)
Upcoming Schedule
Monday – 1st layer of asphalt
Tuesday & Wednesday – Curb & gutter
Thursday & Friday – 2nd and 3rd layers of asphalt. There will still be about a 2″ difference between the curbs and the road, also the manholes, this will be brought up to the same level with the last layer of asphalt which will go down all at once over the length of the full project area.
Phase 1b
The work has been going so well that the section of work that’s up next, the southern half of the 38th street intersection down to just past the Ace Hardware driveway, will get slightly accelerated. Once they finish with the pavement of the northern half of the intersection they will open it up and start removing the road just to the south. This should take about 3 weeks (as always, dependent on weather and other unknown issue cooperating) before they move on to the southern most end of the project. This will not impact the estimated timeline of Phase 2 and will open the 38th street intersection more quickly, a win all around!
Week of June 17
Sidewalk removal and reconstruction in Phase 1 will likely occur during the week of June 17. Crews will coordinate directly with businesses to accommodate as best they can busy times of day and other needs. Typically one side of the sidewalk in front of an entrance is removed leaving the other open for foot traffic, cement cures enough to be walked on within a few hours so hopefully this results in only minor disruptions.
Then they reopen the Phase 1 section of the road and it’s free to drive on. There may be some parking restrictions from time to time, this will help the workers do things like install the streetlights without hurting anyone and shouldn’t be long term in duration.
Oh, and I buried the lead…now they’re saying they might be done by September!! Happy Friday!
Progress…
Thomas and Sons has finished pavement removal between 36th St and 38th St and work on the new storm sewer began this week. As part of this process, the contractor will dig the access holes for the water main cleaning and lining. Grading will continue next week.
An important note from the City: As the contractor performs pavement removals on the project, they will be removing and salvaging the old street pavers. We discourage individuals from entering the construction site and removing these pavers as they are the property of the contractor. Pavers on Nicollet are not “free for the taking”.
If you experience any problems with your sewer and/or water connection it is recommended that you contact a licensed plumber as soon as possible to correct the problem before the streets are paved. One problem frequently encountered in connection with street paving is the condition and age of the private water and sewer services from the house or business to the City main in the street. Occasionally, because of the age and condition of these services, they may require repair or replacement within a relatively short period of time after the new paving is completed. If you are planning to upgrade your water or sewer service, please contact Bob Schmidt at 651-308-3805 to coordinate with the project’s schedule.
New curb and gutter will be constructed on properties in the corridor. To do so, we will excavate a portion of the City boulevard directly behind the curb. The City boulevard is the area between the sidewalk and concrete curb. We will place new topsoil and sod where it was disturbed. The tree and sod planting will likely occur this fall.
Updates from the road…
Well, they tried to start and were basically successful but that pesky frost some like to call snow got in the way a little bit last week. All was not lost, however, and there was progress made. Here’s what to expect in the days and weeks ahead…
Week of May 6 – more removals. That means those big ol’ trucks will be moving back and forth and back and forth pulling up the road between 36th Street and 38th Street. It will be loud and there will be vibrations. If you have knick knacks on the your walls you might want to take them down as they have been known to fall. A typical work day is 7am-330pm but the workers could be around until 6pm as needed.
Week of May 13 – Depending on the progress of removals storm sewer work will likely begin the week of May 13 and temporary water will be introduced. The water source is the same and has been tested to the same standards you’re used to. There may be some sediment due to the change so go ahead and run your water a little longer than usual to get to the good stuff (those on Nicollet won’t be charged for water during this time so no need to worry there!). If you’re interested in seeing what it is they’re doing down there while you’re on temporary water check out My day with the City of Minneapolis Water Department.
That mess at 38th street has been Century Link upgrading their manholes. They should be out of there early this week.
A few notes about traffic:
There will be additional blue way finding signs added so customers know that businesses are open and directing people as to how to get there.
Bev Warmka will be requesting that addition enforcement is in place on Blaisdell and 1st while traffic is diverted to those streets.
Despite all that white stuff outside, it is the end of April…and you know what that means!
Work on 38th Street
The mill and overlay work on 38th Street is scheduled to begin this week. This work will now go only from Lyndale to Blaisdell as there is potential curb work planned for between Blaisdell and Nicollet. More details will be shared when they become more clear.
Work on Nicollet
Thomas and Sons will again be the contractor for this years’ work on Nicollet Ave. They have an anticipated start date of April 29th, weather permitting. This may be delayed due to our recent snow and forecasted rain. We will share any updates as they are available.
Public Works will hold construction update meetings. These meetings are to provide an opportunity to learn what is happening with the construction and share potential issues and concerns. At this point, meetings will be scheduled for 9am on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of May and June. We may adjust the frequency of the meetings based on needs and meeting attendance.
Where: Butter Bakery Café
3700 Nicollet Ave
When: 9:00 am
Dates: May 2, May 16, June 6, June 20
Minneapolis Traffic has completed the installation of temporary lighting from 36th St to 40th St.
Minneapolis Water has been working necessary valve replacements, valve replacements are still needed at the intersection of 38th and Nicollet. In mid-May they will start working on installing the temporary water line which will be needed for the water department to clean and line the existing main. The schedule for this will be shared as it’s available.
38th Street Paving
Mill and overlay work on 38th street will begin the week of April 22. This work will last 1-2 weeks and involve grinding off the top few inches of asphalt from the road and replacing it. There will be access to the road during the entire duration of the work (with some lane restrictions as necessary). The work is planned to begin at Blaisdell and go to Grand followed by the Grand to Lyndale Ave. stretch.
Community Meeting Times
Please join us at the 5th Police Precinct to hear specifics on the Nicollet Ave. reconstruction project.
Tuesday March 26, 9:30am
Tuesday March 26, 6:30pm
3101 Nicollet Ave. So.
Minneapolis, MN
A date for a business meeting will be set and announced shortly, stay tuned!
Here we go folks!
In preparation of this summer’s Nicollet Avenue road construction project, the City of Minneapolis Water Department will soon begin to replace some of the gate valves on the water mains between 36th and 40th Streets.
This water shut off is typically between 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning, to minimize disruption to residences and businesses. The excavation can result in temporary parking lane and travel lane closures. Water service will be typically be disrupted once, however some areas may require additional disruptions depending on the number of valves that will be replaced.
Minneapolis Water has indicated the following work schedule (as always, schedule is weather permitting):
- Friday March 1st Water will set thaw boxes on E. 39th St @ Nicollet Av. S. (east and west sides of the intersection)
- Monday March 4th and Tuesday March 5th excavate and set shields.
- Tuesday March 5th @ 11pm to 6:00am Wed. water shutoff on E. 39th St. from 1st Av. to Blaisdell. and on Nicollet Av. from 38th to 40th and Van Nest Av. 39th to 40th (see attached maps for more detail)
- Wednesday and Thursday we will be installing the manholes and backfilling, we will be done with that intersection on Friday 3-8-13
Let the countdown begin!
Nicollet Ave. So. should be completely open to traffic by Friday November 2, weather and other factors permitting. There are no additional phases or plans to close portions of the street for the remainder of the calendar year.
There will be some minor work left to be done on Nicollet Ave. which could result in temporary parking restrictions. Updates will be provided as they become available.
As a reminder, work will begin next year as soon as the weather permits.
Rain, Rain, go away!
We need the rain after a summer of dry weather but if it could wait just a week that would be great for the Nicollet Ave. Reconstruction project!
Weather dependent, as always, sidewalks will be poured on the west side of Nicollet on the 3500 block this week.
Final wear will be poured in the last section mid next week, then the contractor will need to paint lane markings as well as some additional finishing touches before the street can be opened. As soon as the traffic signal at the 35th Street intersection is installed they will be able to open the road to traffic. We hope this will happen by the end of next week but stay tuned for updates.
Wooden poles with lights will replace the permanent street lighting between 36th and 40th streets over the next month. The lights will then be refurbished over the winter before they are reinstalled next summer at the completion of the project. This will help to accelerate the work next spring.