Road work still on schedule
Early October has been marked by above average rainfall and early snowfall, but several major road projects remain on schedule to be completed this month.
Brainerd Assistant City Engineer Jesse Freihammer said the new curb has been installed on South Eighth Street and the roadwork should start soon. The project is expected to be completed by Oct. 30.
"(The rain last week) put us back a few days," Freihammer said.
Other street projects include a block of North Ninth Street between Washington and Kingwood streets, which Freihammer said should be completed this week, and creation of diagonal parking at the Brainerd Post Office, which should be completed in a couple of weeks.
The Elder Drive improvement project continues, with traffic down to a single lane from Golf Course Road to Inglewood Drive.
The reconstruction of the intersection of Elder Drive and Highway 210 is being done to improve safety. There have been three serious motor vehicle collisions, including two fatalities, in the past year.
Crews on Tuesday prepared the South Eighth Street roadbed to be paved, which is expected later this month. The street and utility project is one of several projects that are churning toward completion despite a wet and cold start to October. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls » Purchase reprints of this photo.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation's answer was to restrict left-hand turns from Elder Drive to Highway 210. Turn lanes on Highway 210 will not change.
The work will include widening the left turn lanes to Elder Drive from Highway 210, installing concrete medians to restrict left turns from Elder Drive to Highway 210, resurfacing of the roadway and installing storm sewer and lighting. MnDOT has already installed signs directing traffic onto frontage roads.
With traffic down to a single lane in each direction on Highway 210 near Elder Drive, construction crews last week removed concrete and bituminous in order to construct medians, turn lanes and install storm sewer at the intersection.
Tony Hughes, MnDOT project engineer, said inclement weather in early October did slow the project down but the project remains on schedule to be finished by the end of the month.
"Cold isn't as bad as rain," Hughes said.
Light poles and new medians should be completed by the end of this week, with paving being done next week, Hughes said. In the meantime, traffic destined for Elder Drive has been routed to Inglewood Drive and then Foley Road, the frontage road that runs parallel with Highway 210.
Anderson Brothers Construction of Brainerd is the prime contractor for the $462,000 project.
For Baxter, the project is part of an overall Highway 210 corridor plan that includes connecting Fairview Road, a frontage road on the north side of Highway 210, to Excelsior Road to the north to allow for better access near the Elder Drive and Highway 210 intersection. MnDOT has agreed to pay for the road extension. Also being considered by the city is moving the stoplight at Knollwood Drive to Inglewood Drive, for which MnDOT has installed the light bases. Those projects are not part of the Elder Drive intersection reconstruction and have not been scheduled.
MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.