What a change in eight weeks! This week Phase 1 was opened to traffic for the Turtle Fest activities. In the
past eight weeks, R.L. Larson and their crew of subcontractors completed the utility replacement and the
majority of the surface improvements through the first four blocks of the project, allowing the phase to be
open for traffic on Wednesday. Although it isn’t entirely complete, with lights, trees and other grates
pending arrival, along with grading behind the curb, the phase is open for the busy summer tourist season
with the intent to keep the downtown area, from Fourth Avenue West to Third Avenue East open through
mid-August.
Main Street – June 7th
The opening of the first phase to traffic hasn’t slowed the activities on other areas of the project, with the
following activities occurring over the past week.
Early this week, Knife Lake Concrete completed the last of the concrete driveways and sidewalks on Phase
1, constructing the remaining halves of driveways that were unable to be closed during the construction.
R.L. Larson completed the final utility improvements on Phase 3, reconnecting water services in the phase
2024 Main Street Project Update
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
mid-week. In addition to the work on Phase 3, R.L. Larson relocated inlets at the intersection of Seventh
Avenue and Second Street Southeast, as the roadway will be reconstructed over the course of the summer.
On Monday of this past week, Ottertail Aggregate removed the pavement, curb and gutter and other
surface items on the block of Main Street from Sixth to Seventh Avenue West. Following the removal,
material beneath the roadway has been removed and aggregate is being placed to allow for the future
street reconstruction connecting Phases 2 & 3. Ottertail will be continuing the preparation of the roadbed
and installation of aggregate throughout the course of the next week in advance of curb and gutter
construction.
Next week, work will be focused primarily on the westerly portion of Main Street. Ottertail Aggregate will
continue preparing the roadway for aggregate, by removing material to allow for the placement of the
twelve inches of aggregate base and five inches of bituminous pavement. By Wednesday, nearly half of the
aggregate base will be placed throughout phases 2 and 3, with Knife Lake Concrete scheduled to be back to
the site to construct the curb and gutter throughout the two phases on Thursday and Friday.
Tentatively, the schedule is to continue the construction of the surface features in Phases 2 and 3
throughout the course of the month, with a plan to open the roadway to traffic by the Fourth of July.
