#2: Fixing up the city
City brings to a close major construction projects, Broadway Bridge ongoing
Mayor Chuck Barney cut the ribbon at a ceremony in October to celebrate the completion of the nearly $35 million, three-year downtown Minot improvement project. A number of dignitaries were on hand for the event.
The project was the largest reconstruction effort in the city’s history to improve the basic underground and above ground infrastructure in the heart of the city.
The project included replacing miles of water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer pipes, concrete paved streets, curb and gutters, sidewalks, street lighting and other streetscape elements within roughly 26 city blocks in the downtown area over three years.
Another project in a six-block section of East Burdick Expressway from 9th Street NE to 15th Street NE also was completed. The $4.3 million project included new water lines, sewer pipes and storm sewer lines. Many of the underground utilities were 100 years old and in need of replacement. The area now has new concrete sidewalks, curb and gutter and updated signage and traffic signals. A small section of East Burdick Expressway near the intersection with 9th Street SE was slightly realigned to improve traffic flow and safety, and left turn lanes were added at 9th Street SE and 13th Street SE. East Burdick was opened to traffic in early November.
The east Broadway Bridge also opened to two lanes of northbound traffic in Minot in latter November. Along with two lanes of northbound traffic, the older west bridge has two lanes of southbound traffic
The replacement of both bridges was programmed to be a two construction season project, with work coming to a winter halt for the next three or four months, according to city officials. Lunda Construction will start demolition of the west Broadway Bridge in late winter, or early spring 2018, depending on the weather.