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Published November 05, 2012, 12:00 AM

Duluth road crews finish up last flood repairs before winter

Crews have worked hard to repair flood-damaged roads in Duluth, but some streets will have to wait until next construction season.

By: Peter Passi, Duluth News Tribune

  • Fixing the sidewalk
    • image
    Concrete finishers Dan Warner (left) and Barrett McSweeney apply the final touches to a section of fresh sidewalk along Seventh Avenue East near First Street that had been damaged by the June flood. Warner uses a broom to create traction grooves in the walk. Work on and along Seventh Avenue East between Fourth Street and Interstate 35 is expected to be completed this fall. (Bob King / rking@duluthnews.com)

Crews have worked hard to repair flood-damaged roads in Duluth, but some streets will have to wait until next construction season.

“We’re trying to get things buttoned up as fast as we can,” said City Transportation Engineer Cari Pedersen

“It will be a race. We’re hoping the weather will hold,” she said.

“We had such good luck with the weather last year. We could use another fall like that one, because we’ll work as long as we can,” Pedersen said.

Pedersen said she hopes to reopen at least a couple more areas before it snows:

  • A Green Street bridge crossing Keene Creek that was washed out should be replaced with a new box culvert yet this fall, weather permitting.

  • With KTM Paving now on the job, a segment of Seventh Avenue East between Fourth Street and Interstate 35 should be ready for use yet this year.

    For now, several projects remain on hold until spring, resulting in continued closures. These include the following:

  • The washed-out Triggs Avenue bridge over Chester Creek will be replaced with a redesigned structure to be installed next summer.

  • Vermilion Road between Hawthorne Road and St. Marie Street, St. Marie between Wallace Avenue and Vermilion Road, and Hawthorne Road are all slated for reconstruction next year. Design work is under way.

  • A new Bristol Street bridge across Keene Creek is under design and should be installed next summer.

  • A bridge to replace the structure washed out where 63rd Avenue West crosses Keene Creek is being designed and should be in place next summer.

  • A contract has been awarded for work where West Skyline Parkway crosses Stewart Creek, with the project slated for completion next year.

  • Seven Bridges Road will remain closed between Bridges 1 and 2. Design work is in progress, and reconstruction should occur next summer, subject to design approvals.

    The length of the current construction season will depend on when local bituminous plants stop production for the year. Pedersen said area plants typically shut down sometime between the start of deer hunting season and Thanksgiving, depending on demand and outdoor conditions.

    Temporary repairs should allow for some streets to return to service, even though more lasting repairs are still needed.

    “We hope those temporary repairs will stay in place, and that they will not be torn off by plow blades this winter. But if that happens, we’ll have to apply cold patch,” Pedersen said.

    Spring could prove a challenge, too.

    “A lot of streams have changed flow since the flood, and we could have more work to do, depending on how they handle runoff,” she said.

    Pedersen said city staff has been working with local contractors and consulting engineers to tackle repairs quickly.

    “Everyone jumped in and did whatever they could. We had to double our normal work load,” she said.

    When roadwork stops for the winter, staff will ramp up engineering efforts. Pedersen doesn’t expect the pace of work to let up any time soon.

    “By the end of next year, we hope to be more back to normal,” she said.

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