Rochester construction projects to look out for this year

Jennifer Bredow

(ABC 6 News) – Rochester Public Works has several construction projects planned around Rochester for 2022.

This work has many benefits including keeping the city’s infrastructure in good working condition, replacing infrastructure that has reached the end of its lifespan and improving safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

The list below highlights large-scale projects; it does not include all construction work that will be conducted by the Public Works Department in 2022.

An online map showing construction impacts across the city is located here.

Street Projects

  • North Broadway Reconstruction Project – J7318 (March 2022 to October 2022)
    • Phase two of the reconstruction of North Broadway Avenue began on Monday, March 28, 2022. Construction will focus on the alleyways and side streets adjacent to North Broadway. Work on Broadway Avenue in 2022 will include landscaping, installation of railing, completion of bus stops, and electrical work from Civic Center Drive to West Silver Lake Drive.
  • 13 Avenue SW and 12 Avenue SW Sanitary Sewer and Storm Sewer Relief Lines – J8611
    • (Phase 2: March 2022 to August 2022)
    • This project, in its second and final year, will provide additional sanitary sewer and stormwater capacity for current and future development in the St. Mary’s Place District of the Destination Medical Center (DMC). Once completed, this project will limit street flooding that is occurring on 2 Street SW during large storm events.
  • 65 Street NW Reconstruction Project – J9852/J9853 (Phase 1: March 2022 to November 2022)
    • The City of Rochester is reconstructing 65 Street NW from 50 Avenue NW to 60 Avenue NW. Improvements include (a) changing 65 Street NW from a rural road to a city street with a 30 mph speed limit, (b) increased safety and traffic flow for roadway users, and (c) new pedestrian/bicycle paths that connect to existing trails and Dakota Middle School. Phase 2 of this project includes the reconstruction of 65 Street NW from 37 Avenue NW to 50 Avenue NW and will occur in 2023.
  • 9 Street SE Reconstruction Project – J7843 (Start TBD, completed in December 2022)
    • Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) is planning to construct a relatively large electrical duct bank from their new Marion Road SE substation to downtown Rochester. The 9 Street SE segment of this project is from Broadway Avenue to Slatterly Park. Installation of the new duct bank will disturb existing City utilities and pavements within this segment. Given the age of the infrastructure between 4 Avenue SE and Slatterly Park, Public Works prioritized this street and utility reconstruction project to take advantage of the street disturbance and construction efficiencies.

Bridge Projects

  • Elton Hills Drive Bridge Replacement – J7918 (October 2021 to July 2022)
    • The existing bridge developed problems with its foundations in recent years. These problems progressed to the point where action had to be taken to ensure that the bridge can safely remain open. The main problems are at two specific areas of the bridge: (a) the piers and (b) the abutments. The bridge was removed in 2021 and a new bridge is in the process of being constructed.

Additional Projects

  • Downtown Sidewalk Experience Enhancement – J4716 (May to fall 2022)
    • This project will replace the deteriorated brick inlay pattern sidewalk with an exposed aggregate pattern along Broadway Ave, 1 Avenue SW and 3 St SW.
  • Chester Woods Trail Extension Project – J4678 (March to October 2022)
    • This project expands the City of Rochester’s extensive network of multi-use trails to connect to the regional connection to Chester Woods Park. The project begins at Eastwood Golf Course and extends to 50 Avenue SE. A future Department of Natural Resources (DNR) trail will connect this trail to Chester Woods, as well as communities located within eastern Olmsted County, southern Wabasha County, and Western Winona County via connection to the Great River Ridge and Whitewater Country Loop trails.
  • Trail along South Broadway Avenue and Highway 14 – J4693 (Spring or Summer 2022)
    • This project will construct a 10-foot wide bituminous multi-use path abutting the Crossroads Shopping Center, in the southwest quadrant of the Broadway Ave S / Trunk Highway 14 intersection, from Crossroads Drive SW to 14 St SW.
  • Annual Mill & Overlay and Chip Seal Projects (Spring/Summer 2022)
    • Every year, the Public Works Infrastructure Maintenance team performs pavement preservation projects that include both Mill & Overlay and Chip Seal projects. The milling projects consist of removing an average of 2-inches of pavement from the existing street and replacing that 2-inches of bituminous pavement. This year’s project includes an estimated 12 miles of re-paving. The Chip Seal projects are an additional preservation method to protect pavements that have been recently paved in the previous 2-3 years. An estimated 28 miles of streets will receive a chip seal. These projects occur in neighborhoods all over the city. More information on the pavement preservation project is located here.