Picture from this week June 19-21

Eyes on Main Street - June 21, 2013

Picture from this week! Picture include the new sewer pipes, some old copper service after being pulled out of the ground and a view from above.  Remember you can also watch what is happening live on the Spring Grove Communications Web Cam at http://yourlocal.coop/SGC/Main_Street.html.

MnDOT Update for Week Ending June 21

Eyes on Main Street - June 20th

Here are some photos from today, photos taken by Sarah Schroeder.

Update from MnDOT

This week in Spring Grove:

• Sanitary sewer and water main installed from 1^st Ave. SW to 1^st Ave NW.
• All sanitary sewer and water main services hooked up in that section as well. 

Next week in Spring Grove:

• Sanitary sewer installation will continue from 1^st Ave. NW to Division Ave.
• Removal of bituminous asphalt from 3^rd Ave. SW to 1^st Ave. SW.  Current 2B detour will remain in place. 

Highway 44 from Spring Grove to Highway 52:

• Hwy 44 will be closed beginning Monday, June 24, from Hwy 43 in Mabel to Hwy 52 for box culvert replacement.
• Detour route is Hwy 43, County Road 12 and County Road 21 to Canton.
• Culvert linings will be taking place in various locations between Spring Grove and Hwy 52.

Highway 44 resurfacing in Fillmore County begins June 24

                       

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Highway 44 will close from Mabel to Highway 52 beginning Monday, June 24, as crews begin a resurfacing and culvert replacement project.

Motorists will be detoured to Highway 43, Fillmore County Road 12 and Fillmore County Road 21.

The detour is necessary while crews replace culverts, and will remain in place until early August, weather permitting.

Once the detour is lifted, flaggers will control traffic throughout the remainder of project, which is scheduled to continue through October.

The resurfacing project is tied to a reconstruction project on Highway 44 in Spring Grove.

Mathy Construction, is the prime contractor for the project. When the project is finished, motorists will experience a smoother ride surface and a safer highway.

MnDOT urges motorists to always drive with caution, slow down in work zones and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.

For Minnesota statewide travel information, visit www.511mn.org, call 5-1-1 or log on to www.mndot.gov. 

Council Update - Bonding Update

Eyes on Main Street - June 20, 2013

Work continues at 6:00 on June 18, 2013.

Mike Bubany was at this weeks council meeting talking about the bonding for this project. Spring Grove received an A rating from Standard & Poor's. The hope was either A or A+, Spring Grove did not receive an A+ due to factors we cannot control. For example the median income level in town.

Bids for the bonding came in June 18 and rates have increased over the last month. Mike's recommendation was to choose the lowest bid, which was United Bankers Bank at 3.47%. The annual payment shows $210,000, but the actual payment will be closer to $188,000 per year. The council will need to make the decision on how to pay this each year. If it were all to go to tax payers through taxes and utilities, it would be around $27/ month. However, there are other ways to pay for this debt, using some of the enterprise fund and the existing budget. The council will begin looking at the budget in July.

The project is progressing well. They moved to 2b instead of 2a so as to keep moving down the street. Also water will be turned off on Thursday (tonight) from 6-8 pm from West Division to 5th Avenue. 

Spring Grove Downtown Up and Running

EDA's logo showing that Spring Grove is open.

Eyes on Main Street - June 17, 2013

Please inform your friends that you can drive through Spring Grove. It looks like the road is closed ahead and it is not, you can always drive through town. Hopefully it will help now that the detour signs have the SG Up and Running Logo on them. 

The road work continues. Since it was the weekend, you could see several out walking with metal detectors. Anyone know if anything has been found? 

Weekly Update from MnDOT

Eyes on Main Street - June 14

Construction continues. The Up and Running signs have arrived and will be installed on the detour signs in Mabel and Caledonia. 

Here is the weekly update from MnDOT. 

This week in Spring Grove:

• Finished concrete removal for Phase 1
• Set up detour for Phase 2B
• Hooked up temporary water services to homes and businesses
• Began installing new water main and sanitary sewer lines from 1^st Ave SW heading East to 1^st Ave NW

Next week in Spring Grove:

• Continue installing new water main and sanitary sewer lines heading east to Division Ave
• Begin reconstruction of roadway starting at 1^st Ave SW heading east

Highway 44 from Spring Grove to TH 52:

• Box culvert replacement scheduled to start the week of June 24^th

Here are some photos from June 13 and 14th - Photos taken by Sarah Schroeder.

Photos

Eyes on Main Street - June 11

Here are some photos from this past week. 

Removing the layers.

The digging begins.

The pipes are identified.

The 3/4' service pipes, some of the newer ones are copper and some of the older are lead.According to Paul Morken, the pipes are being identified so the digging can go faster.

Also check out the funny video created by Giants. 

Phase 2B Begins Today

Eyes on Main Street - June 10, 2013 

Kristin Kammueller, the MnDOT District 6, Community Relations/Public Affairs Coordinator is sending weekly emails to those involved in the marketing of Spring Grove during the construction. These emails will also be posted on this blog.  On Friday she sent the following recap:

• Highway 44 is closed with detour for through traffic on Highway 76, Highway 16 and Highway 43 and local traffic is detoured onto 1st Street SW
• Milled asphalt surface in town from 1st Avenue South SW to Division Avenue
• Removing concrete pavement under the asphalt
• Removing contaminated material and hauling offsite
• Began installing temporary water services to downtown residents/businesses.

 Next Week in Spring Grove:

•  Hook up temporary water services
• Begin watermain and sanitary sewer replacement between 1st Avenue SW and Division Avenue

 Highway 44 from Spring Grove to Highway 52:

• Work scheduled to begin on June 24th

Today she sent the following: "The Phase 2B detour route is going into effect today, June 10. The detour route is attached. The Fire Department has relocated to the City Shop. Because of the move, underground work will begin at  the intersection of Highway 44 and 1^st Ave. SW."

Here are some photos from this last week!

Main Street Construction Begins June 3

Eyes on Main Street - June 4, 2013

The construction has begun with phase 1. If you want to watch, the webcam at the Spring Grove Communications is a perfect opportunity. It can be accessed at http://yourlocal.coop/SGC/Main_Street.html. 

There was a lot of discussion at the council meeting about the detours and making sure all the street lights are working and no parking signs are installed to make them safer.

Here are some recent photos of main street. 

 And here are some photos from yesterday, June 3.