Watermain work on W. Broadway Avenue disrupts business
A look at new watermain work around all the existing private utilities. (Photo by Jeremy Hauser, Bonestroo)
Jennifer Larson
Staff Writer
Watermain work along W. Broadway Avenue last week from 8th Street and continuing west got a chilly response – colder than one of Culver’s concrete mixers – from businesses along the corridor.
The issue came up at Monday’s meeting of the Forest Lake City Council with member Jackie McNamara making a statement that construction on CR-2 should cease until 1st Ave. NW is completed.
She said the public’s perception is that the backage road, which is being built to access northside businesses, would be carrying traffic before Broadway was torn up.
Councilman Mike Freer asked when 1st Ave. NW, currently under construction, would be done.
“I don’t have that date myself,” said City Engineer Paul Hornby.
Bob McCullough, who owns property along the corridor, said the backage road won’t be completed for months. Culver’s of Forest Lake lost two complete days, he said, adding that both their entrance and exit were shut down for 30 consecutive hours.
Hornby said the city is a participant on the county’s “Mega” project. He said the improvements are to be constructed in a manner that’s appropriate for the city and in accordance with the contract.
“We’re not there to manage it,” Hornby said, noting Forest Lake does not have a business liaison on the project like it did with the downtown roundabout.
In addition, he said the contractor didn’t anticipate the watermain work to be as extensive as it was. Hornby said making the new connections around the existing private utilities ended up taking more time.
He also said that the county may not have considered the infrastructure repairs in their construction staging, and it was their responsibility to notify those affected.
However, McNamara said the county just shrugged off the complaints made during the last neighborhood meeting on Thursday, May 19 at ERA Muske Company.
“We need to get those details worked out to make sure it’s not going to impact businesses,” said Scott Willis, owner of Culver’s, 1007 W. Broadway Ave.
The next neighborhood meeting will be at Forest Lake American Legion Post 225, 355 W. Broadway Ave., from 8-9 a.m., Thursday, May 26.
Timeline
Jason Pommier, the county’s construction inspector on the project, said 1st Ave. NW is at minimum five weeks away from being finished.
“I wish I had a better answer,” he said this Tuesday.
Pommier noted that two stormsewer ponds need to be built where the city’s compost is located. And from what he’s heard from Mike Tate, Forest Lake public works director, the ground is too wet to move the facility to its new site at Forestland Nurseries.
“That’s got to get out of the way first,” Pommier said.
He said the contractor estimates to be ready for curb and gutter on the backage in about three weeks; paving will follow.
Because it’s 8-feet underneath the surface, Pommier said the watermain work was started first as it’s below where the phone, gas and electric will be.
The combined trenching will start after Memorial Day weekend from in front of Taco Bell east to 8th St. The remaining portion to Centennial Drive will be done after the Fourth of July festivities.
Where there is only one single access to a business along the corridor, he said the contractor will bore underground to keep the entrance/exit open.
A new development is a blinking red traffic light at SW 12th Street and Broadway.
“That intersection will remain an all-way stop for the duration of construction,” Pommier said, adding that new signal poles will be installed.
The plan is to have the system operational this fall.
The northeast northbound ramp to I-35 has been closed since May 17 but will be opened by noon on Friday – just in time for the holiday. Pommier said the directional board on the interstate will have a new message to alert motorists of the change.
In other news
The council awarded Dresel Contracting, Inc. the water main relocation project for the Hardwood Creek Trail. Dresel was the low bidder with a base quote of $49,970 and $5,000 for steel casing under Alternate No. 2 for a total amount of $54,970.
According to Hornby, there are problems pertaining to the Broadway project with a retaining wall which could cause the water main to fail. The infrastructure will be moved about 130 feet.
The repair was not budgeted, he noted. Finance Director Ellen Paulseth said the cost will be paid from the city’s water and sewer fund.
A proposal was also received from the county’s contractor, Redstone Construction Company, Inc., of $69,386 as the third highest bid submitted.
