Fairmont MN Construction Updates

Construction Update

2020-08-24T10:46:00.000-05:00

After a wet summer and many construction delays in 2019, the City's contractors were able to get a good start this spring and finish up several projects that carried over from 2019. Projects completed in the last few months include:

1. Winnebago Avenue reconstruction from TH 15 east past Indus Street

2. 4th Street overlay from Prairie Avenue to TH 15

3. Cedar Park trail loop on the north end of Cedar Park

4. Day Farm trail overlay south of Heritage Acres

5. A new T-hangar at the airport was completed and will be taking new tenants in November.

The Lake Avenue reconstruction project started in July. The contractor, Crow River Construction, works a 10-day on and 4-day off schedule and is making good progress on the project so far. This project has a specific project website that discusses some of the design features as well as provides construction updates. You can sign up for email notices when the page is updated. Here is the link to the construction updates page.

https://clients.bolton-menk.com/lakeaveimprovements/construction/

The City will be starting the I-90/Margaret Street trail extension in September. This trail project will connect Margaret Street trail to the intersection of Torgerson Drive and TH 15. It will provide a link from the hotels near the interstate to the Winnebago Avenue Sports Complex while increasing safety by keeping users off TH 15. Trail completion is scheduled for early summer 2021.

Lastly, you may have observed City engineering staff out preparing for the 2021 construction season. Our engineering staff have been doing field work and gathering information for potential construction projects in 2021.

Keep everyone safe! Please use caution whenever you encounter construction workers in the field.

Winnebago Avenue Reconstruction

2019-10-10T09:27:00.001-05:00

The contractor was able to get all the aggregate hauled on Phase 1 and is beginning removals of Phase 2. Traffic will be shifting to the east entrance/exit of Fairmont Estates, the mobile home park, as this work begins today. The removals will be completed and new watermain will be installed up to TH 15. The street will be kept to a gravel surface to allow for access to Bean Town and The Ranch during this work. Concrete work is anticipated to begin the week of the 14th.

Winnebago Avenue Reconstruction

2019-10-08T14:24:00.001-05:00

Poor weather and poor sub-grade soils and created delays in finishing Phase 1. The contractor is hauling aggregate today and tomorrow to get the surfacing on Phase 1 ahead of the forecast weather the end of this week.

Resurface and Overlay Projects

2019-10-08T14:21:00.001-05:00

The contractor has completed the sub-grade work on Lynn and Burton. Both of those projects have been delayed by the weather and should be getting the concrete work done in the next week. Following the concrete replacements, the contractor plans to get those two projects paved and finished.

The 4th Street project is scheduled to start the end of this week, 10/10 or 10/11. However, the weather forecast does not look very favorable. If the forecast holds, the contractor will likely begin work on Monday. The first phase of this project will be to complete some storm sewer work in the alley west of TH 15 adjacent to Century 21. Fourth Street will be closed between TH 15 and Fairview during this work phase.

Resurface and Overlay Projects

2019-09-20T14:58:00.001-05:00

The contractor worked on Lynn Street this week and was able to get all removals complete, drain tile installed, and the surface brought back to a gravel driving surface. All residents, including Becky Lane, should have access to their driveways by the end of today. The contractor will now be moving to Burton Lane. They will be starting removals on Monday.

New pioneer pedestrian bridge

2019-09-17T16:19:00.001-05:00

The contractor set the new pioneer pedestrian bridge today between Lake Sisseton and Lake George. The project is still under construction and the bridge is currently closed to pedestrian traffic. Stay tuned for the opening of the newest addition to the City’s trail system.

Winnebago Avenue Reconstruction

2019-09-17T16:12:00.002-05:00

The contractor is installing drain tile on phase 1 of the project and will soon start placing the aggregate surface. With good weather, we are hoping to be moving into phase 2 in the next two weeks. When phase 2 begins, traffic control and access to the Five Lakes cooperative mobile home park will be moved to the east entrance. Stay tuned for further information on when that change will occur.

Resurface and Overlay projects

2019-09-17T16:06:00.002-05:00

The contractor was able to get started on these projects after last weeks rains. They are completing some storm sewer work on the end of Hengen Street today. The contractor plans to move into Lynn Street on Wednesday, Sept. 18th. They will begin the removal process and access to the homes on Lynn and Becky will be restricted in the next day or two. Please be careful around the construction and plan ahead for access restrictions. Contact City Hall if you have questions about access.

Resurface and Overlay Projects

2019-08-23T11:34:00.001-05:00

This year's projects include a resurface of Lynn Street from the dead end to E Interlaken, Burton Lane from N Perimeter to S Perimeter, and the downtown parking lot adjacent to Lake Avenue behind the Human Services building. Additionally, overlays of 4th Street from Prairie to TH 15 and an overlay of the south half of the Day Farm Trail are included in this contract. The overlay of Albion Avenue past Interlaken Golf Course was completed in July. The contractor is expected to begin these projects the week of Labor Day.

Please contact City Hall at 238-9461 if you have questions about these upcoming projects.

Winnebago Avenue Reconstruction

2019-08-23T11:20:00.000-05:00

Work is nearing completion on the underground portion of Phase 1. The contractor has the watermain and storm sewer installed and is going to be starting the subgrade excavation on Monday. A couple progress pictures of the pipe installation.

Winnebago Avenue Reconstruction

2019-07-24T09:49:00.001-05:00

Winnebago Avenue from TH 15 east to the end of the existing pavement is being reconstructed as part of the City's 2019 Improvement Program. The City's contractor is moving onto the project today. Road closures will be getting set up Thursday with the road being closed at Phase 1 beginning Friday. This project will be completed in phases and the closures and access will be adjusted accordingly. See the traffic control and phasing plans below. Traffic for the industrial park will be directed to 10th Street during the project. The project is expected to continue through November 15th. Updates will be provided on this site as the conditions change. Please contact City Hall directly if you have specific questions.

TH 15 update

2017-11-17T14:00:00.002-06:00

Only minor items remain on the TH 15 project. All the signals have been installed. The Adams Avenue signal had an issue with wiring and is scheduled to be fully operational soon. The remaining signals are now operating, including the new flashing yellow arrow turn signals. Check out this website for more information on flashing yellow arrows.

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/trafficeng/signals/flashingyellowarrow.html

The pavement markings have been completed and all of the turf establishment is finished. MNDOT will be working with the contractor on final clean-up items and the project will likely be closed out this winter.

2017 Improvements

2017-11-17T13:52:00.000-06:00

The majority of projects have wrapped up for the construction season. 10th and 11th Street have been paved and the boulevards have temporary stabilization. The contractor will be back in the spring to sod the boulevards and install the last layer of asphalt pavement.

Cardinal Street has been completed including the addition of sidewalk from Prairie to TH 15 on the north side of the road. Residents in that area may have also noticed new sidewalk from the existing bike trail on Albion heading east to the new Whitetail Ridge Subdivision on south Prairie.

The Day Farm trail has been completed including a new layer of pavement from the parking lot south through the existing ravine. In addition, the old prairie dog exhibit parking lot has been paved. The old prairie dog exhibit is going to be converted to a butterfly and pollinator garden. The Fairmont Exchange Club will be leading that project.

Two of the 2017 projects anticipated for completion had several sub-grade issues during construction and unfortunately were not able to be completed this fall. Camelot Court was paved with the base course, but the final layer of asphalt will not be completed until Spring of 2018. Similarly, the public parking lot (Lot C) at the corner of Park and 3rd was not able to be completely paved due to weak sub-grade soils. This project will be completed in the Spring as well. Accommodations have been made to have the lot open for use through the winter months.

Margaret Street remains an active project and the contractor continues to install underground utilities. The street is still closed to through traffic but access is available from the east end off of TH 15. Next week grading will begin on the west portion of the project and installation of the majority of the underground utilities should get completed. Construction will continue as long as the weather holds out with the intent to get the entire road back to a gravel surface for the winter.

TH 15 Update

2017-09-29T15:20:00.005-05:00

Starting late September through late October, Highway 15 motorists can expect traffic signals along the project to be deactivated and become four-way stops as crews work to upgrade or replace the signal systems between Adams Avenue and Goemann Road. The existing signals will be taken down and new signals will be installed on Highway 15 at the intersections of 4th Street, Blue Earth Avenue, Tilden Street, and Adams Avenue. The signals on Highway 15 are being updated to include new lights, flashing yellow arrows and emergency vehicle preemption.

Continuing through mid-October crews will be milling and resurfacing the roadway. Motorists should take extra caution and be on the lookout for changing traffic patterns as there will be additional workers and equipment on the roadway during the milling and paving operations. Drivers can expect lane restrictions and brief traffic delays as crews work to complete the signal, curb, sidewalk and resurfacing work.

TH 15 Update

2017-09-08T16:19:00.000-05:00

An update on TH 15 traffic control. The traffic signal at Torgerson Drive and TH 15 will be disabled next week beginning Tuesday, Sept. 12th. A 4-way stop will be set-up to provide temporary traffic control. The contractor will be upgrading the traffic signal during this time and is intending to have the lights operational on Friday, Sept. 15th.

2017 Improvements

2017-09-08T11:52:00.002-05:00

Cardinal and Charles Street have been paved, the new sidewalk is complete, and these streets are open to traffic. The contractor will be back to finish grading and complete turf establishment later this month. Camelot Court is up to aggregate grade and is ready for paving. Parking Lot C removals have been completed and the storm sewer system has been installed. Aggregate surfacing will be completed in the upcoming week. The trail and parking lot along the west side of Sisseton have been graded and are near ready for asphalt paving as well. Paving is scheduled for later in September on all of these projects.

10th and 11th Street removals have begun and temporary water service lines have been installed. Underground construction is scheduled to begin next week and these streets will be closed to vehicle access as the underground construction ramps up.

The contractor for Margaret Street, Holtmeier Construction, is planning to begin underground work next week. All of the watermain is being replaced on this project and temporary water service will be provided to those properties that are connected to the 12" main in Margaret Street. The excavation is anticipated to begin on the east end of the project which will limit vehicle traffic from traveling east to TH 15. Be aware of construction signage as traffic will be affected with this construction. With a late start to the construction, it is expected that the contractor will complete the underground construction this fall and bring the street up to gravel grade for the winter. All hard surface paving and curb installation will be completed in 2018.

TH 15 Update

2017-09-08T11:39:00.000-05:00

Concrete work continues on TH 15. Several of the intersections on the west side of TH 15 have been re-opened in the last few days. East Victoria is closed and will be realigned to provide a perpendicular intersection with the highway. Additional concrete work is expected to begin from 10th Street north this week and continue into next week with median repairs and intersection work at Winnebago and Torgerson. Paving is tentatively scheduled for the last two weeks of September.

2017 Improvements

2017-08-11T12:17:00.001-05:00

Beemer Companies is continuing to make progress on the resurface and overlay projects. Stade and Summit overlays were completed last week. Cardinal and Charles have been brought up to gravel grade and paving of those two streets is currently scheduled for the week of 8/14. Camelot Court is currently being excavated and new aggregate and drain tile are being installed. Sidewalk installation continues on Cardinal Street and the grading has begun for sidewalk on East Belle Vue.

TH 15 Update

2017-08-11T10:37:00.002-05:00

MNDOT's contractor is finishing up several intersections today and early next week. The intersections at School, Budd, Willow, Tilden east, and Fareway Foods will be open in the next few days. The next intersections scheduled to close are Victoria west, Adams east, and the north mall entrance. Detours will be in place to access Adams east via Victoria. Sidewalk and pedestrian ramp installation will continue along the west side of TH 15. Tentative plans are for TH 15 to be closed from Blue Earth to 10th Street the week of August 21st. The detour route for this closure will be Blue Earth west to Prairie, north to 10th and back east to TH 15. Affected properties will be notified as this time approaches. Please be cautious of the construction activity and patient with the ongoing traffic changes.

2017 Improvements

2017-07-21T10:43:00.001-05:00

The City's 2017 Improvement program is underway. There are several projects this year all around the City. Visit http://fairmont.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017-Improvement-Program.pdf to view the complete improvement program.

Margaret Street is scheduled to be upgraded from North Avenue to TH 15. Holtmeier Construction is anticipated to begin in late August or early September. Northdale Construction will be completing the reconstruction of 10th and 11th street from North Avenue west to Lake George and is expected to begin the first week of August.

The resurface and overlay projects being completed by Beemer Companies began last week. Summit and Stade have been milled and the asphalt overlay is currently scheduled for next week. Cardinal and Charles are seeing activity from new sidewalk construction to milling of the existing pavement. These two resurface projects will result in local traffic disruptions, but access to the neighborhood will be maintained during the work. Those along Cardinal and Charles will have a few days of restricted access to the driveways. The contractor is working to minimize these restrictions and affected properties will be notified by the contractor.

All of the seal coat work was completed on July 11th and City crews will begin sweeping up the additional aggregate next week.

TH 15 Update

2017-07-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

Activity is increasing on the overlay, ADA and signal upgrades to TH 15 through the City. Duininck, Inc. is the general contractor and is completing the work under a MNDOT contract. The City will be providing periodic updates through the construction blog as well as through the City Facebook account. For additional information you can visit the MNDOT project page at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/d7/projects/hwy15fairmont/index.html.

A sub-contractor has started some preliminary signal work. This work has disabled some of the vehicle detection systems so drivers may see longer green light cycles during this work. All of the signals will be upgraded as part of this project with 4 of the locations receiving complete new systems. Another sub-contractor is working on the ADA improvements and beginning removals along the project at various intersections. Traffic control will be changing frequently to accommodate vehicles along the entire route.

Intersections along TH 15 that are going to be impacted over the next several days include Adams Ave, Tilden St (mall entrance), and 4th St. Please watch for traffic changes in these areas.

2016 Improvements

2016-10-18T09:09:00.000-05:00

This has been a relatively quiet summer for large construction projects, but the City currently has two projects underway. The City has hired MR Paving to complete some water service improvements along TH 15 in advance of the 2017 rehabilitation of the road by MNDOT. This work involves reconnecting existing water services to a 12" watermain and abandoning an old 4" watermain that has exceeded its useful life. This work should improve the reliability of the service to the businesses along TH 15.

The City and the Fairmont Economic Development Authority (FEDA) are working on an exciting project on the south end of the community at the end of Prairie Avenue, near the Jeffrey Kot Soccer Complex. In partnership with the Fairmont Area School District, FEDA is developing the Whitetail Ridge subdivision to offer 20 new lots for sale in the City. More information on the available lots can be obtained from City Hall. The contractor, Holtmeier Construction, has completed a good portion of the site grading and is currently installing the main sewer and water lines. Here is a picture of the work from Hall Street as the contractor makes their way up the hill.

2015 Improvement Projects

2015-09-14T17:16:00.001-05:00

The contractor began milling the existing pavement on Eltinge today and plans to mill on Webster Street on Tuesday. Underground utilities are nearly complete on Victoria and the contractor will turn their focus to finishing the underground utilities on 3rd Street in the coming weeks. The City parking lot on 2nd Street is ready for paving. The contractor is hoping to begin some of the paving later this week or early next week on the projects that are ready. Here is a photo of section of watermain being installed.

2015 Improvement Projects

2015-08-27T10:42:00.000-05:00

Construction has begun on all of the 2015 improvement projects. They are all at various phases in the process, but below is a listing of this year's projects and areas that drivers should use caution when traveling through.

Reconstruction - Third Street (Prairie to East dead end); Victoria (Albion to Park); Oxford (Victoria to Willow)
Resurfacing - Third Street (Sylvania Park to Lake Ave); Downtown parking lot A (Second street); Victoria (Park to Cambridge)
Overlay - Webster (TH 15 to Home); Eltinge (Interlaken to dead end)

The sealcoat project has been completed for 2015.

Also, please make sure you check out the City's website or follow on Twitter or Facebook to see other road closure or water shutoff notices.

http://fairmont.org/news-announcements/

Albion Avenue Reconstruction

2015-05-11T09:13:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the early spring weather the contractor was able to get going on Albion in April. The concrete contractor finished the curb and gutter, driveways, and street patches. The asphalt patching has been completed and the landscape contractor finished the sod last week. The majority of traffic control was removed on Friday, May 8th with traffic now using the full road width. We are anticipating the pavement marking subcontractor to be onsite this week to complete the striping.