Road Report: Sept. 23, 2024

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

 10th Street: Work on 10th Street between Interstate 229 and Sycamore Avenue was substantially completed Sept. 19, and all lanes are open to traffic!

There may be periodic short-term lane closures over the next few weeks as the contractor does some final cleanup work and for traffic signal equipment installation when it arrives.

What’s underway 

Sixth Street: Work is in progress to construct/reconstruct Sixth Street between Dubuque Avenue and Veterans Parkway.

Improvements will include underground utility installation; construction of Sixth Street east of Foss Avenue to four lanes with a center median, turn lanes, street lighting and traffic signals; and straightening the segment of Sixth between Dubuque and Foss.

Work began in late August, and crews currently are working on installing underground utilities.

The plan is to open the entire project to one lane of traffic in each direction by mid-November.

Work will resume in 2025 to finish the four-lane section east of Foss and to straighten the segment of Sixth between Dubuque and Foss.

All work is expected to be complete by the summer of 2025.

Veterans Parkway: Work is in progress to install a new sanitary sewer force main line between a sewer pump station on 57th Street and the wastewater treatment facility near 60th Street North and Veterans Parkway.

Crews currently are working to lay out and fuse together high-density polyethylene pipe along the east side of Veterans Parkway between 41st and 57th streets.

There will be limited impacts to traffic, but drivers are encouraged to exercise caution traveling near the work zone. The overall project will be constructed in several phases over the next few years.

Russell Street: Work began again on the Russell Street bridges over the Big Sioux River between Kiwanis and Louise/Westport avenues Sept. 19. Lane closures will be in place for both eastbound and westbound traffic to allow crews to perform bridge maintenance work. In the upcoming weeks, the location of the lane closures on the bridges will vary. At a minimum, one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open at all times. This work is anticipated to be complete by mid-October.

Cliff Avenue: The outside southbound lane of Cliff Avenue closed from Chambers to Rice streets Sept. 19 to allow crews to perform pavement repairs. Cliff  will maintain two lanes of northbound traffic and one lane of southbound traffic in the project area. In addition, the sidewalk on the west side of Cliff  from Rice to 31st North/Amidon streets will be closed. Pedestrian traffic will be routed to the east side of Cliff . This work is expected to be complete in about two weeks.

What’s next

Beginning today:

• Grange Avenue will be closed between 18th and 21st streets to allow crews to install equipment on the Sanford USD Medical Center campus with a crane. This work is expected to be complete by the end of the day.
• The Interstate 90 eastbound on- and off-ramps at Humboldt, Exit 379, will be closed to allow crews to remove pavement and prepare for new pavement placement later in the week. The daylong closure is scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. and will be reopened by 7 p.m.
• The outside eastbound lane of 69th Street will be closed between Beal and Louise avenues to allow crews to perform sidewalk repairs. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.
• The center turn lane on 20th Street will be closed between Cliff and Seventh avenues to allow crews to rebuild a concrete electrical vault. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Beginning Tuesday:

• Short-term lane closures will occur on Sixth Street between First and Weber avenues to allow crews to perform street and utility maintenance work. This work is expected to be complete by the end of the day.

Beginning Wednesday:

• The outside northbound lane of West Avenue will be closed between Seventh and 12th streets to allow crews to perform sidewalk repairs. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.
• The outside westbound lane of 69th Street will be closed between Landau Circle and Mogen Avenue to allow crews to perform sidewalk repairs. Each repair location will be limited to a block or two at each location and will move west as the work progresses. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Beginning Thursday:

• Career Avenue will be closed between Tickman and Innovation streets to allow crews to install underground utilities. Traffic should use Louise Avenue as a detour route. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.
• The outside southbound lane of Western Avenue will be closed between Crossing Place and Ralph Rogers Road to allow crews to perform sidewalk repairs. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.