Road Report: June 27, 2022

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

Minnesota Avenue: Intermittent lane closures started last week on Minnesota Avenue between Second and Eighth streets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily to allow crews to perform soil borings in advance of a future reconstruction project. This work is expected to be complete by early July.

Traffic on Minnesota Avenue will be switched over to the new pavement on the west side of the road between Russell and Brookings streets early this week. Grading, laying gravel and paving will be taking place on the west side of the road between Brookings and Second streets in the coming weeks. Pavement removals and underground utility work will begin on the east side of the road between Russell and Brookings after the traffic switch.

One of the main issues with concrete pavements is joint deterioration over time. One way the city is working to combat that from happening on Minnesota Avenue is by the use of a penetrating concrete sealer called PoreShield. It’s a soybean-based product that seals the joints to help prevent chemicals from seeping into the concrete and causing the joints to deteriorate.  Here’s how it works:

Sycamore Avenue: Lots of progress was made last week on Sycamore Avenue between 26th and 57th streets.

The east half of the 33rd Street intersection has reopened to traffic. Work is now in progress on the west half of the intersection. It is a much smoother ride through this intersection now! Thirty-third Street remains closed at Sycamore and will reopen to traffic before school starts in August.

Sycamore between 41st and 57th streets was milled last week, and the west half of the street was overlaid with asphalt. Milling is a process by which the top 2 inches of asphalt are ground off the roadway so a new layer of asphalt can be installed on the surface. The east half of the roadway will be overlaid with asphalt early this week. Milling and overlaying of Sycamore between 26th and 41st streets also will occur later this summer.

The first concrete pour of the project occurred Friday. Look for a phase change in the next few weeks!

What’s next

Minnesota Avenue: Beginning today, the outside northbound lane of Minnesota Avenue will be closed between 37th and 41st streets to allow crews to complete sidewalk improvements. As part of this work, the outside eastbound left turn lane from 41st onto Minnesota also will be closed.  Southbound traffic will not be impacted at this time. This work is expected to be complete by mid-July.

Six Mile Road: Beginning today, Six Mile Road will be closed between 10th and 26th streets to allow crews to work on realigning the Six Mile Road and Arrowhead Parkway intersection. Traffic on Six Mile Road should use Veterans Parkway as an alternate route. Traffic will be maintained on Arrowhead.  Six Mile Road is expected to reopen to traffic before school starts in August.

North Drive: Beginning today, North Drive in front of the state penitentiary will be closed to allow crews to perform utility work. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

14th Street: Beginning Tuesday, the outside eastbound lane of 14th Street between Fourth and Seventh avenues will be closed to allow crews to perform concrete repairs. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.