MnDOT Update and Photos from this Week

Eyes on Main Street - August 29, 2013

MnDOT Update and Photos from this Week

This week in Spring Grove:

• Removed contaminated material east of Division Avenue
• Sanitary sewer and water main work from 1^st Ave NE to 2^nd Ave NE
• Curb and gutter from 1^st Ave SW to 3^rd Ave NW
• Stone retaining wall construction by the school
• Grading for sidewalks

Next week in Spring Grove:

• Grading  and setting forms for sidewalks
• Pouring light bases
• Water main and storm sewer work from 1^st Ave NE to 2^nd Ave NE

Highway 44 from Spring Grove to Highway 52:

• Resurfacing
• Flaggers and a pilot car will now control Highway 44 single lane traffic 

This first group of photos is from Spring Grove Communication's Facebook site, https://www.facebook.com/sgcommunications and were taken on Friday August 23.

     This set of photos was taken on Sunday, August 23-26.

Removing some contaminated soil.

The limestone is here for the wall at school.

Colored Concrete and Weekly MnDOT Update

Eyes on Main Street - August 22, 2013

Colored Concrete and Weekly MnDOT Update

The colored amenity strip has started appearing along the business district. Here are some photos taken Tuesday night. Below the photos you will see the weekly update from MnDOT.

This week in Spring Grove:

•  Removing concrete pavement from 2^nd Ave NE to Division Ave.
• Contaminated material removal East of Division Ave.
• Pouring colored/stamped concrete between 1^st Ave SW and Division Ave.
• Placing and grading aggregate base from 1^st Ave SW to 3^rd Ave NW
• Begin stone wall construction by school
• Sanitary/storm/water main work East of Division Ave.

Next week in Spring Grove:

• Pour curb and gutter from 1^st Ave SW to 3^rd Ave NW
• Stone wall construction by school
• Sanitary/storm/water main work East of Division Ave.
• Contaminated material removal East of Division Ave.

 Highway 44 from Spring Grove to Highway 52:

• Resurfacing
• Flaggers and a pilot car will now control Highway 44 single lane traffic 

Progress Continues - Working on Both Sides of Business District

Eyes on Main Street - August 20, 2013

Progress Continues - Working on Both Sides of Business District

You will notice activities on both ends of town. They are working in front of the school and in front of Trinity, as well as in the downtown section.  Here are some photos from this week. 

Looks like some new curb needed to be removed.

MnDOT Weekly Update

Eyes on Main Street - August 15

MnDOT Weekly Update

This week in Spring Grove:

• New detour in place to allow phase 3 construction to begin.
• Sub cutting  from 1^st Ave SW to 3^rd Ave NW
• Placing granular embankment from 1^st Ave SW to 3^rd Ave NW
• Milling bituminous from 2^nd Ave NE to Division St including Division St intersection.
• Pouring sidewalk from 1^st Ave NW to Division St. 

Next week in Spring Grove:

• Placing aggregate base from 1^st Ave SW to 3^rd Ave NW
• Removing concrete pavement from 2^nd Ave NE to Division St.
• Pouring colored/stamped concrete from 1^st Ave NW to Division St.
• Constructing retaining wall from 3^rd Ave SW to 3^rd Ave NW 

Highway 44 from Spring Grove to Highway 52:

• Box culvert replacement is complete
• Flaggers and a pilot car will now control Highway 44 single lane traffic 

Progress Continues - Main Street Road Closure on East Side

Eyes on Main Street - August 15

Progress Continues - Main Street Road Closure on East Side

I woke up this morning to a new detour - I can no longer head toward Trinity Lutheran Church and turn right on Main Street. I now have to go by Tweeten Lutheran to reach 44.  I just posted the new detour yesterday but didn't read it close enough. It is nice to see the construction progressing.

Mural on Cinema Wall

If you haven't driven down the south alley behind the main street stores, you will definitely want to check out the mural being painted on the side of the Spring Grove Cinema, watch the wall transform into a beautiful mural. Giants of the Earth is having the mural painted. 

Here are some photos I took last night including the mural being painted.

Spring Grove Communications payment drop box - located in back of building. 

 

 

Council Meeting Recap and Construction for the Past Week

Eyes on Main Street - Today's Date

Council Recap

On a 3-2 vote, the council is eliminating the colored concrete across all driveways and is also removing all railings that were in the plan. Everyone seems to have a different opinion, but there were placed in the plan for safety as was written in the August 2nd post, http://sgmainstreetproject.blogspot.com/2013/08/information-pictures-from-this-week-and.html.

Even if you talk to MnDOT, there are differing opinions. Is it better for a driver to see a colored strip or better for a walker to see a driveway - it is almost like the question who came first the chicken or the egg. 

All the curb in the current middle section has been poured and they started pouring the rest of the sidewalks. Here is a photo from one night last week. Remember you can always watch the live webcam from the Spring Grove Communications web site: http://204.248.124.202/view/viewer_index.shtml.

New Detour to start Thursday August 15

Eyes on Main Street - Today's Date

New Detour to start Thursday August 15

The following was sent by MnDOT.

The following detour will be put in place beginning 7 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15. The current detour in town will remain in place.

West Bound Hwy 44 traffic will turn left onto 4^th Ave. SE to 2^nd St. SE, turn right on 2^nd St. SE to 3^rd Ave. SE, turn right on 3^rd Ave. SE to 2^nd St. SE, turn left on 2^nd St. SE to Division St., turn right on Division St. to Hwy 44, cross Hwy 44 and continue on to existing in place WB Hwy 44 detour.

East Bound Hwy 44 traffic will take existing in place EB Hwy 44 detour to Division St/Hwy 44 intersection, will cross Hwy 44 on Division St. to 2^nd St. SE, turn left on 2^nd St. SE to 3^rd Ave. SE, turn right on 3^rd Ave. SE to 2^nd St. SE, turn left on 2^nd St. SE to 4^th Ave. SE, turn left on 4^th Ave. SE to EB Hwy 44.

August 8 Update from MnDOT

Eyes on Main Street - August 9, 2013

Update from MnDOT

This post was never published, so am publishing it today.

The following update came out yesterday from MnDOT.

This week in Spring Grove:

•  Phase 2A detour in place until further notice
• Sanitary sewer, water main and storm sewer work between 1^st Ave SW and 3^rd Ave SW
• Poured curb and gutter between 1^st Ave NW and Division St.
• Pavement removal between 3^rd Ave SW and 3^rd Ave NW
• Sidewalk removal and grading for new sidewalk between 1^st Ave NW and Division St.

Next week in Spring Grove:

• Pour sidewalk from 1^st Ave SW to Division St.
• Remove contaminated material between 3^rd Ave SW to 3^rd Ave NW
• Sanitary sewer, water main and storm sewer work between 1^st Ave SW and 3^rd Ave SW

 Highway 44 from Spring Grove to Highway 52:

• Bituminous paving at box culvert locations this week
• Guardrail installation at box culvert locations next week

New Detour Begins

Eyes on Main Street - August 7, 2013

New Detour Begins

The following was announced last night at the council meeting and just came from MnDOT as an update. (Council meeting update will be posted later today.)

Because of the rain we had during the first two weeks of work, we are running behind schedule. As a result, the Phase 2A detour was put in place Tuesday, August 6^th in order to try and get all the work in front of the school done before school starts back up again this fall.

Westbound Detour

Westbound traffic will turn right at Division St, then left on 1^st St NW and take Railroad Dr. to 2^nd Ave NW, left on 2^nd Ave NW then a quick right onto Goodview Dr. to 5^th Ave NW, then left on 5^th Ave NW to WB Hwy 44.

Eastbound Detour

Eastbound traffic will turn left onto 4^th Ave NW to 2^nd St. NW, right on 2^nd St. NW to 3^rd Ave NW, right on 3^rd Ave NW to 1^st St NW, left on 1^st St NW to Division St., right on Division St. to EB Hwy 44.

Curbing Continues - First Bump Out

Eyes on Main Street - August 5, 2013

Curbing Continues - First Bump Out

Things slowed down last week when the "curb making" machine was needed somewhere else, however, the curb machine was back today and progress was made. The first bump out at the alley by the Ye Olde Opera House was poured. Remember these bump outs are for traffic calming and safety for pedestrians. I can't remember what someone at the meeting called them. Anyone remember? I liked the term better than bump out, maybe it was safety bump.

Pictures from today!

Information, Pictures from this Week, and MnDOT Weekly Update

Eyes on Main Street - August 2, 2013

Information, Pictures from this Week, and MnDOT Weekly Update

I think I better start this post with my name, Saundra Solum, in case anyone has any questions. You can email me at saundy@springgrove.coop. Uffda, there seems to be some rumors flying around about the main street project. I personally haven't heard all of them, but wanted to set some facts straight. If you hear of others, let me know so we can help disseminate the correct information. 

The amenity zone, the unfilled portion of the sidewalk seen in this photo, varies from 2-4 feet in the business district, will be the colored stamped concrete. The color swatch the past council used, was not matched to the existing swatch, so the color we chose came in much darker than originally planned. I personally did not see the color live, but I hear it was a dark brown. A new choice was selected by a few members of the council, more of a terracotta color, which should look fine. 

Remember there were two reasons to have the amenity color different from the regular concrete. The number one reason is safety! We have several sidewalks that cross driveways and the color is another alert to drivers, informing them that they are crossing a sidewalk. For example, at the entrance to the Fitness Center/Library at Spring Grove Communications, Kwik Trip, and Solie's Services. The second minor reason is to break up the look of solid concrete and is purely aesthetic.

The contractor bid included the colored stamped concrete, so it is not adding additional costs to the original bid. I did notice that the stamped concrete is on the council agenda for this coming week and will post information following the meeting. 

Here is photo of the lights that were chosen. The banners and flowers are just shown in this picture as an option, that decision will be up to the current council. The light poles should be a dark bronze - that was the color chosen, and all coordinating railing should also be bronze. We held up both black and bronze actual light pole pieces along main street and found the dark bronze had the best look with all the brick buildings and other building colors, so that color was chosen. The 18' lights are the pedestrian walking lights that will be used in the business district with the taller 25' lights throughout the rest of main street. We also planned to add the lights around the city park (Viking) and school, but that would need to be addressed by the current council. 

I recently saw a photo of main street sometime in the 1950s and the lights are very similar to the style chosen for this project. I believe the photo was in the 2013 Spring Grove Communications phone book, which shows many old photos of Spring Grove Main Street in the first few pages.  

The metal railing, also in bronze, is installed for safety, separating the sidewalk from a parking area. The only exception is the beginning of the business district on the west side of town that has one on the south side for uniformity. 

Here are some photos taken earlier this week, which are posted on the Spring Grove Communications Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/sgcommunications

MnDOT Weekly Update

This week in Spring Grove:

• Placing aggregate base from 1^st Ave. NW to Division St.
• Sanitary sewer, water main and storm sewer work between 1^st Ave. SW and 3^rd Ave. SW
• Pouring sidewalk from 1^st Ave. SW to 1^st Ave. NW
• Sidewalk is CLOSED between 2^nd Ave. NW and Division St.

 Next week in Spring Grove:

• Pour curb and gutter from 1^st Ave. NW to Division St.
• Pouring sidewalk from 1^st Ave. SW to Division St.
• Sanitary sewer, water main, and storm sewer work between 1^st Ave. SW and 3^rd Ave. SW

 Highway 44 from Spring Grove to Highway 52:

• Box culvert replacement will continue between Mabel and Highway 52