Road Report: May 30, 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 done

26th & Cliff: The work on 26th Street at Cliff Avenue is complete.

Work continues on Cliff Avenue between 26th and 33rd streets. One lane in each direction is open to traffic.

What’s underway

41st Street: Temporary intersection closures on 41st Street west of I-29 will continue into early June to allow crews to reconstruct the street surfacing. Temporary closures of Terry Avenue, Cathy Avenue and Gateway Boulevard at 41st Street will alternate; only one intersection will be closed at a time. Marion Road south of 41st Street will remain closed for a few more weeks. The Cathy Avenue intersection will be closed through Friday

Cliff Avenue: The start date for the full closure on Cliff Avenue between 49th and 56th streets was accelerated and began Thursday. Cliff Avenue is expected to reopen to traffic before school starts in mid-August, but the overall project won’t be complete until late fall. Traffic should use Minnesota Avenue as a detour route.

Minnesota Avenue: The outside northbound lane and sidewalk on Minnesota Avenue from just south of the railroad tracks to 14th Street will be closed daily from 8:30 a.m. to  4:30 p.m. This work began Friday and is expected to take about one week.

Minnesota Avenue: Work on Minnesota Avenue between Russell and Second streets is making progress. Underground utility work continues between Brookings and Second streets and will continue for the next several weeks yet.

Between Russell and Brookings, crews worked a cement powder into the subgrade this week to stabilize the soil and provide a solid base for the gravel and concrete pavement work to follow next week.

Adding this cement powder to the subgrade increases the bearing capacity, or strength, of the subgrade soils.  This reduces the amount of soil that needs to be hauled away and reduces the amount of gravel that needs to be hauled into the project.

This results in an overall cost savings to the project, less traffic congestion from fewer trucks hauling material into and out of the project and less wear and tear on the surrounding roadways.

What’s next

60th Street North: Beginning today, 60th Street North will be closed at I-229 to allow crews to replace the bridge over I-229.  As part of this project, Sycamore Avenue closed from Benson Road to 60th Street North on Wednesday. Crews will be cutting down the steep hill on Sycamore and using the dirt as fill material for the bridge improvements on 60th Street North. Sycamore will reopen this fall. 60th Street North won’t reopen until mid-2023.

41st Street: Beginning today, the eastbound lanes of 41st Street will be closed from Sertoma Avenue to Kuehn Park Road to allow crews to perform street and utility improvements. Eastbound traffic will use the center turn lane for travel. Both lanes of westbound traffic will be maintained. Left and right turning movements will be restricted at various locations along the street as well. This work is expected to be complete by late August.

33rd Street: Beginning today, 33rd Street will be closed between Prairie and Grange avenues to allow crews to perform utility work for Augustana University. Traffic should use 26th Street as an alternate route. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Yankton Trail Park: Beginning today, the 57th Street entrance to Yankton Trail Park and the main roads within the park will be closed to allow crews to complete road and parking lot improvements. Access will be maintained at the Minnesota Avenue entrance, and one parking lot will remain open for use. This work is expected to be complete by early July.

Arrowhead Parkway: Beginning Wednesday, the inside eastbound lane of Arrowhead Parkway will be closed between Gordon Drive and Foss Avenue to allow crews to perform landscaping maintenance in the center median. Two lanes of eastbound traffic will be maintained at all times during the maintenance work. Westbound traffic will not be affected. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.