52nd Ave S Construction (45th St to 63rd St)

Current Traffic Pattern

Current Status:

This project reached substantial completion in the summer of 2020.

Project Benefits

The project benefits include:

• ADDITIONAL DRIVING LANES: Two driving plus turn lanes were added between 45th St S through 63rd St S in each direction
• ADDITION OF PERMANENT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS: Veterans Blvd and 63rd St S
• PROTECTED PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS: Intersection of 63rd St S, Veterans Blvd, and 45th St S
• UPGRADED CITY SERVICES: New storm sewer and water underground, street lighting, and new shared used path along both sides of 52nd Ave S and underneath the new drain 27 bridges
• SAFER SIDE STREET CROSSINGS: RCUT intersections were added at 47th Street South, 53rd Street South, and 53rd Avenue South.

Project Overview:

The City of Fargo and the North Dakota Department of Transportation NDDOT) will reconstruct 52nd Avenue South between 45th Street to just west of 63rd Street in 2019. This project will include the following:

• Reconstruction of 52nd Avenue South from a rural two lane roadway to an urban four lane divided roadway with dedicated turn lanes.
• Widened bridge over Drain 27.
• Installation of new storm sewer.
• Expansion of the water infrastructure along the west end of the 52nd Avenue corridor.
• Installation of new street lighting.
• Installation of new shared use path along both sides of 52nd Avenue and underneath the Drain 27 bridge.
• Installation of new traffic signals at the 63rd Street, Veteran's Boulevard, and 45th Street intersections.

Overall Map

Purpose:

52nd Avenue South is functionally classified as a major arterial roadway. The purpose of the project is to reconstruct and improve 52nd Avenue South from 45th Street to 63rd Street to serve as an important link in the multimodal transportation system, thereby accommodating the long-term growth and development within the project area by addressing capacity needs, level of service (LOS), pavement condition and pedestrian infrastructure.

This project will reconstruct the existing rural 2 lane roadway into an urban arterial capable of carrying the following current and projected traffic volumes:

• Current Traffic Volume: Approximately 12,000 (Vehicles Per Day (VPD)
• Projected Traffic Volume: 20,000 VPD

Project Phases:

The improvement project will be spread over six-phases, which will overlap or begin after phase work is complete:

• Bridge construction (starts Friday, March 1): Two bridges will be built over the drainage ditch. In mid-August, the westbound bridge will open to two-way side-by-side traffic while crews complete the reconstruction of the eastbound bridge.
• Underground utility and roadway reconstruction: Eastbound and westbound 52nd Avenue South will be reconstructed in multiple phases between:
• East side of Veterans Boulevard to west of 45th Street South (complete by mid-August). One lane in each direction is slated to reopen.
• West of the 63rd Street South intersection to east of McMahon Estates Circle
• East of 63rd Street South to west of Veterans Boulevard
• Veterans Boulevard intersection: Reconstruction will happen in three sub-phases. Crews will maintain access through the intersection in both directions. Work will begin after Sheyenne Street and 40th Avenue South is fully open to traffic in City of West Fargo Segment three project.
• 47th Street South, 53rd Street South and 63rd Street South intersections: Intermittent closures and full intersection closures will occur to complete underground utility work and reconstruction needs. Work at 63rd Street South intersection will begin after June 20.
• Median and turn-lane reconstruction: After bridge construction is complete, permanent medians at 53rd Street South intersection and westbound right-hand turn east of 45th Street South will be installed on 52nd Avenue South. Two-way traffic will be maintained on the outside lanes of eastbound and westbound roadway.

Impacts:

The bridge over Drain 27 (between 45th Street and Veteran's Boulevard) closed on March 1 and will tentatively reopen in mid to late August. 52nd Avenue through traffic is detoured to other routes during this bridge closure.

Timeline:

Construction started on March 1, with final completion scheduled for early July 2020.

Throughout the project, sidewalk and drainage design was re-evaluated to ensure sidewalk placement doesn’t impact existing drainage and future development. Work to complete the new multi-use paths, landscaping, and profile corrections were moved to a 2020 completion date along with modifications to the signal system at 45th Street South.

Funding:

The cost of construction is estimated to be $19.2 million. Funding for the project will consist of a combination of the following sources:

• Federal Highway Funds
• Cass County Highway Funds
• SE Cass Water Resource District Funds
• City of West Fargo Funds
• City of Fargo Funds
• Special Assessments

Contractor:

The apparent low bidder is Kindred Plumbing and Heating with a construction cost of approx. $19.2 million.

Stay Updated:

Stay current on detour routes, construction progress, and all other project updates by visiting FargoStreets.com, where you can sign up for project email notifications. You can also follow FargoStreets on Twitter (@FargoStreets) and Facebook for up-to-date road related information.