Construction crews have been busy over the course of the past week working both on improvements
downtown on Phase 4 and on the edges of the City to Highway 10 both on the east and west side of town.
Early this week, All States Pavement Recycling completed the initial reclamation of the surface on the west
side of the project and shifted to the east side of town toward Highway 10. On Thursday, the last section of
reclamation was completed on the urban section, from Seventh Avenue Northeast to Fifth Avenue
Southeast. This morning, R.L. Larson Excavating started removing the top five inches (5”) of material from
the roadway, focusing on the westerly portion of the project. Please be aware that during the removal of
the existing material, flaggers are on site directing traffic with minor delays.
On Phase 4, R.L. Larson worked on replacing the sanitary sewer main on Tuesday, replacing the utility main
to near N.P. Park by the Post Office. On Wednesday, R.L. Larson shifted to replacing sanitary sewer services
for properties along the phase, working from First Avenue to the west. Service replacement will continue
throughout the day today and into next week, with minor storm sewer replacement following the sewer
service replacement. As outlined throughout the project, DOWNTOWN IS OPEN, please be advised that
parking is provided in the various City lots on the map link included at the end of this update. Pedestrian
access is also provided throughout the construction zone, with boardwalks placed in sections of the
removed brick pavers. Please do what you can to continue to support these businesses while the
improvements are being made.
Later today, the intersection of First Avenue will be opened to traffic for the weekend. The temporary stop
signs will be placed to allow traffic to cross the construction zone and limit the impact of the closure
through the Labor Day Weekend. The intersection will remain open until approximately 9:00 a.m. on
Tuesday to allow for the traffic during the morning of the first day of school.
Upcoming Activities
Underground utility improvements will continue next week, with R.L. Larson working on the replacement of
sanitary sewer from Third to Fourth Avenue West along with sewer service replacement. A second
underground crew will be coming to town next week to assist with the utility replacement and will shift to
water service and hydrant replacement during the week. The hydrant replacement will require minor
shutdowns of the water system to allow for the connections. R.L. Larson will be coordinating the
shutdowns and notifying properties of the timeframe where water use will be restricted. Following the
replacement of the sanitary sewer and select water components, R.L. Larson will be shifting to storm sewer
replacement in Phase 4. The remaining underground utilities are anticipated to take roughly an additional
week and a half, which will be followed by road construction preparation.
2024 Main Street Project Update
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
On Tuesday morning, Parsons Electric will be closing the intersection of First Avenue around 9:00 a.m. to
begin placing the various signal bases and conduits for the new traffic signals. This work may impact the
pedestrian access through the intersection which may require crossing the roadway to avoid the new signal
work.
On the rural sections of the project, R.L. Larson’s third crew will be continuing the process of removing the
top five inches of reclaimed pavement and preparing the roadway for the second round of reclamation,
which will include the injection of an oil-based material to prepare the roadway for paving. Work will focus
on the western portion of County Highway 80 from the Highway 10 exit to the intersection of County
Highways 34 and 51. Following the completion of the removal of the top section, R.L. Larson will shift to
the east working toward Highway 10 on the east side of town. The intent is to complete the removal of the
top section on both rural sections by the end of next week, in advance of All States Pavement Recycling
returning to the project the week of September 9th
.
In addition to the removal of material on the rural section, R.L. Larson will also be installing a storm sewer
inlet in the southwest corner of the intersection of County Highway 80 and County Highway 34. The inlet
will be installed near St. Henry’s Cemetery, to address drainage concerns on County 34. The storm sewer
installation will limit turning movements from eastbound County 80 traffic for a short timeframe. Please
follow the flaggers direction or other traffic control devices placed along the project in any construction
zone.
If you have any questions, or want additional information on the project, the Perham Chamber of
Commerce has created a webpage dedicated to the project, which can be accessed at this link
(https://www.perham.com/2024msrp/). For more specific questions, feel free to contact the City Engineer,
Jade Berube, via email at jade.berube@apexenggroup.com, or City Manager, Jonathan Smith at
jsmith@cityofperham.com.
