Road Report: June 19, 2023

Construction season is here, so we’re back with our weekly look at what projects are done, where you’ll find traffic impacts and what’s scheduled next.

What’s underway

I-29 at 41st: Traffic on Interstate 29 will be reduced to one lane in each direction in the northbound lanes during the evening and overnight hours Tuesday into Wednesday to remove the existing bridge deck on 41st Street.

The following night, traffic on I-29 will be reduced to one lane in each direction in the southbound lanes to remove the existing bridge deck on 41st Street. Shirley Avenue is expected to reopen north of 41st Street on Wednesday.

85th & Cliff: The work at the intersection of 85th Street and Cliff Avenue continues to be on schedule for a mid-August opening.

Crews are pouring concrete in the intersection, laying gravel on 85th west of Cliff in preparation for pavin and finishing up the underground utility work on Cliff south of 85th.

Slurry seal program: A slurry seal is a protective seal coat that extends the life of a pavement. Typically done on asphalt pavements in good condition, a slurry seal provides a new wearing course and preserves the underlying pavement, preventing the need for more expensive repairs in the future. The slurry seal process is fast moving, and after application, streets generally are reopened in less than one day.

A slurry seal is a low-cost, preventative maintenance treatment used to extend the life of a street in good condition and address minor defects. A slurry seal is a half-inch layer applied on top of the existing asphalt surface by a paver and is a mixture of asphalt oil, small rock and other additives.

The 2023 slurry seal work started last week. The work is expected to be complete later this summer.

The work is mostly focused on neighborhood streets, but major streets scheduled for slurry seal this year include Western Avenue between Burnside and 41st streets; Holbrook Avenue between 41st and 57th streets; Solberg Avenue between 49th and 57th streets; and potentially 33rd Street near Augustana.

For an interactive map showing current status, click here.

What’s next

14th & Cliff: Beginning today, 14th Street and River Boulevard will be closed at Cliff Avenue to allow crews to perform asphalt paving on Cliff through the intersection. Traffic on River Boulevard east of Cliff should use 17th Street as a detour route. Traffic on 14th west of Cliff should use 15th Street as a detour route. These closures will be in place outside of the morning and afternoon peak traffic hours today.

49th & Western: Beginning today, the inside westbound lane and the inside eastbound turn lane on 49th Street will be closed west of Western Avenue to allow crews to perform concrete repairs. One westbound lane of traffic and one eastbound turn lane will be maintained during construction. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Sixth Street: Beginning Wednesday, eastbound traffic on Sixth Street just west of Cliff Avenue will be shifted into the left turn lane to allow crews to perform utility repairs. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained at all times during construction.  This work is expected to be complete in one day.