Two major north-south thoroughfares in the Park Bugle readership area will be affected during the upcoming road construction season, Raymond Avenue and Highway 280. Here’s a rundown of both projects.
Raymond Avenue
The third and final phase of rebuilding Raymond Avenue—from Energy Park Drive north to Como Avenue—will begin in May and finish in late November, with a break during the Minnesota State Fair, according to Barb Mundahl, project engineer with the City of St. Paul’s Street Engineering Department.
Besides new pavement, the project will include new concrete curb, gutter and driveway aprons, new street lighting, sodded boulevards, tree planting and utility upgrades. There will also be Americans with Disabilities Act–compliant pedestrian ramps and sidewalk repairs as needed.
From Blake Avenue to Brewster Street, the street will remain 42 feet wide, with one vehicle lane and one bike lane in each direction and parking allowed on the west side of the street.
From Energy Park Drive to Blake, the street width will vary to accommodate turn lanes at Energy Park Drive, then narrow under the railroad and University of Minnesota Transitway bridges. The pedestrian walkways under the bridges, currently elevated, will be lowered to street level.
The grass medians at Gordon Avenue will be removed, and bump-outs and a flashing pedestrian beacon will be installed at the school crossing.
The Raymond and Como intersection is not included in the upcoming work, but will be reconstructed as part of Como repaving in 2017.
Once the project begins, updates can be obtained on the city’s website, www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=3973, by clicking on Raymond Avenue.
Mundahl will discuss the construction work at the meeting of the St. Anthony Park Community Council’s Transportation Committee at 6:30 p.m. on March 7, in the council’s new quarters at 2395 University Ave., Suite 300 E. (This is the Security Building at the corner of University and Raymond.)
Highway 280
To the west, major repair and resurfacing work on Highway 280 will take place from early May through July, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT).
During the first phase of the project, Highway 280 will be closed from Broadway Street north to the I-35W interchange while the ramps there are rebuilt. Traffic will be detoured and Highway 280 south of Broadway will remain open.
Once the ramp work at I-35W is completed, all lanes of Highway 280 will reopen north of Broadway, and resurfacing will begin between Broadway and Como Avenue to the south. Traffic will be restricted to one lane at times during this period and there will be ramp closures.
The $3.3 million project includes the construction of additional concrete median barriers, guardrail replacement and improvements to the storm sewer system and ponds along Highway 280.
The work is expected to improve safety, provide motorists with a smoother ride, improve drainage and extend the service life of the roadway, bridges and drainage system, according to the DOT.
For more information or to sign up for e-mail updates, visit www.mndot.gov/metro/projects/hwy280.
Highway 280, built in the mid-1950s, was last repaired and resurfaced in 2009. It is estimated that up to 69,000 cars use the roadway daily.
