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Next Main Avenue Roadway Construction Phase Begins on Monday

Next week crews for the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and City of Fargo Main Avenue make-over will extend the work zone west to begin underground and roadway improvements in the third project phase.

06/14/2019


  • Current Traffic Pattern Map
    Current Traffic Pattern Map

Zone: Downtown
Project: Main Avenue Reconstruction Project

Next week crews for the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and City of Fargo Main Avenue make-over will extend the work zone west to begin underground and roadway improvements in the third project phase.
Starting, Monday, June 17, crews will fully close Main Avenue roadway between west of 4th Street S to east of Broadway with the Broadway intersection remaining open.

In early July, the contractors anticipate starting work in the Broadway intersection and will fully close it to drivers at that time. The intersection of 4th Street South and Main Avenue is slated to open Monday, June 24, to north – south travel with one lane in each direction. Main Avenue eastbound turn lanes will open once the portion of Main Avenue east of 4th Street S is complete.

With the change to the third phase on Monday, local access will be maintained and shift from the main line of Main Avenue to temporary driveways or alternative driveways. Once traffic control is in place, access east of Broadway and Main Avenue will be:

  • North side parking lots: Driveway access will be via temporary driveway at the northeast corner of the intersection
  • South side business driveways: Access to the Banks will be via the business driveways off 1st Avenue South.

In the third project phase, crews will begin with removing existing underground and installing new sanitary sewer. Project work in the section of Main Avenue between 4th Street S and Broadway is slated to take 75 days.

This week crews started paving operations east of 4th Street S to west of 2nd Street South intersection, starting with the new westbound driving and parking lane. There will be three main line paves including curb, gutter and sidewalks to complete the second project phase.

The NDDOT and City of Fargo urge motorists to not stop on railroad tracks and allow space between the vehicle ahead of you when congestion exists near railroad crossing on 8th Street South. Drivers are encouraged to add extra time to travel through downtown Fargo and try different routes based on your time of travel through the area.

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS
Next biweekly public information meeting will be 11:30 a.m. to Noon, Thursday June 20 at the Depot (701 Main Avenue).

PROJECT WORK
Although the contractor can work on roadway phases concurrently, there are a few exceptions to the reconstruction phasing:

  • Broadway and 4th St S intersections will not be closed at the same time
  • Work can begin on the roadway removals and underground between 4th Street South intersection and east of Broadway intersection can start ahead of the opening of 4th Street South intersection, which will remove on-street parking on Main Avenue in this stretch.
  • 2nd St S and Main Avenue intersection work will be maintained westbound to northbound, and southbound to eastbound on 2nd St S until early August
  • Pedestrian access to all businesses along Main Avenue will be provided and sidewalk work will not begin until after the roadway is complete. Temporary on-road delineated paths will be used by pedestrians during the sidewalk work.

PROJECT OVERVIEW
The two-year makeover of Main Avenue in downtown Fargo is a joint project between the NDDOT and City of Fargo to transform this gateway into a safe, accessible and beautiful passageway to and through the heart of Fargo.
The project will improve 50 – 60-year-old underground infrastructure, an aging driving surface and lessen the pedestrian system gaps through the downtown corridor. The 2019 project work from the Red River through Broadway includes:

  • Upgrade existing water main, sanitary sewer system and storm sewer
  • Construction roundabout at the 2nd St intersection
  • Replace roadway pavement, traffic signals, street lighting and landscaping features
  • Widen pedestrian facilities on both sides of Main Avenue, with new pedestrian crossings
  • Additional on-street parking

In 2020, the second-year of reconstruction work will improve Main Avenue between Broadway to University Drive in downtown Fargo. When the roadway is complete next fall, Main Avenue roadway will be a hybrid design consisting of a 3-lane alternative from 2nd Street to 9th Street, transitioning to a 4-lane section between 9th Street and 11th Street, and a 5-lane section west of 11th Street as well as double-lane roundabout at the Main Avenue and 2nd St S intersection.

**Please remember all schedules are tentative and weather dependent.

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