Posts by marketing@perhamcc.com
6-21-24 Project Update
Although the rain early this week slowed some of the construction activities on the project, the concrete
crew was still able to begin constructing the curb and gutter on Phases 2 and 3 starting yesterday. Ottertail
Aggregate has been the busiest subcontractor in town over the course of the week, with boulevard grading
occurring east of Third Avenue East behind the curb and out to 11th Avenue East where the new sidewalk
was constructed in May.
On Phases 2 and 3, Ottertail Aggregate has finished the subgrade preparation and hauled in the first half of
the aggregate base for the new roadway. Grading of the aggregate will be continuing over the course of
the next week in advance of the new pavement surface.
On Thursday, Knife Lake Concrete arrived in town and started with the construction of the new curb and
gutter from the west side of the intersection of Fourth Avenue West toward the intersection of County 34
and 51. Today, they will be completing the last of the curb and gutter on the phase, making connections of
curb near the new storm sewer inlets previously installed by R.L. Larson.
Next week Knife Lake Concrete will be returning to the site to begin construction of concrete flatwork
(sidewalk and driveways) throughout Phases 2 and 3. If you are affected by the construction of the new
concrete, please work with the contractor to stay off the new driveways and walks to allow for proper
curing of the new concrete.
In addition to Knife Lake working on the concrete in the phase, Ottertail Aggregate will be hauling
additional aggregate base throughout the phase to prepare the roadway for bituminous pavement.
Currently, dependent on weather conditions and upcoming rain, the plan is to pave the roadway the first
days of July, in advance of the Fourth of July.
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.
6-14-24 Project Update
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.
6-7-24 Project Update
With three phases of construction underway, activities are occurring on all ends of Main Street. On the
west end of Main Street, R.L. Larson is nearing completion on the watermain replacement from Seventh
Avenue to the intersection of County Highways 34 and 51. Early this week, they made a tie-in to the
existing watermain beneath the intersection to connect to the watermain that runs beneath the railroad
tracks at the intersection. Following the connection, they have shifted back to service line replacement
from the new watermain to the existing buildings along the Phase.
In addition to the replacement of the watermain and services, R.L. Larson has installed various storm sewer
inlets and piping at Sixth Avenue West in advance of the placement of Aggregate Base for the new
roadway. Ottertail Aggregate installed the majority of the aggregate in Phase 2, from Fourth to Sixth
Avenue West early in the week and will be back next week to continue preparing the roadway for surface
improvements.
On Phase 1, Parsons Electric installed the last of the light bases behind the curb early in the week, and Knife
Lake Concrete has been in town throughout the week constructing the new sidewalks throughout the
phase. Various pours of concrete have occurred throughout the week, with the ribbon sidewalk next to the
building and boulevard sidewalk next to the curb being poured at one time, and the colored center sections
poured at a different time. Knife Lake should be finishing with the sidewalk today, with minor touch up
scheduled for next week.
Next week, work will continue on Phases 1, 2 and 3. On Phase 1, the last of the concrete, along with
boulevard shaping east of Third Avenue will be completed early in the week. Tentatively, the plan is to
remove the detour either late Tuesday or early Wednesday and re-direct traffic on the new roadway prior
to Turtlefest. The installation of vegetation, including trees, ornamental grasses and lights will be
completed at a later date, but the roadway will be open for traffic and parking by mid-week. With the gap
in improvement timing between Phases 1 and 4, the east side of the intersection of First and Main, along
with other intersections in the first phase, will have temporary surfaces to allow for the connection of
phases for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The bumps and other transitions through phases will be
addressed when later phases are constructed.
On Phase 2, aggregate touch up and fine grading will occur, along with the removals of the existing surface
on the block between Sixth and Seventh Avenue. On Phase 3, the last of the utilities will be installed, and
subgrade preparation will begin in advance of aggregate installation. Aggregate installation will be
occurring throughout the week on Phases 2 and 3, in advance of concrete curb placement, tentatively
scheduled for the week of June 17th
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Crazy Dayz
August 2-3, 2024
5-31-24 Project Update
A shortened week with the holiday and the rains have slowed some of the improvements on Main Street, but the number of crews working in town has allowed the project to progress. Over the course of the week, R.L. Larson, Ottertail Aggregate, Parsons Electric, Aqua Lawn, Central Specialties, and Knife Lake Concrete have all been working on the project.
On Phase 1, the irrigation system was installed on Tuesday, and Parsons Electric has continued to work on the installation of electrical conduits and lighting behind the curb throughout the week, pouring light bases between Second and Third Avenue East throughout the week. Central Specialties paved the first course of bituminous pavement on Tuesday and shifted to the second two-inch course on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, they paved the intersections of the remaining blocks to connect the Avenues to the new pavement on Main Street. Knife Lake Concrete poured sidewalks on the north side of town in the new Prairie’s Edge addition early in the week, with sections of sidewalk on Main Street late this week.
On Phase 2, Ottertail Aggregate excavated the roadway base in preparation for aggregate placement.
Aggregate placement has been focused on the intersections of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Avenue. On Phase 3, R.L. Larson has been replacing watermain from Seventh Avenue West to County Highway 34.
Next week, work will be occurring on Phases 1, 2 and 3. On Phase 1, the installation of light bases and
electrical conduit will continue, with the work primarily focused on the block of Main Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue East. Following the installation of the light bases, Knife Lake will continue pouring the concrete walk on sections that have all electrical items complete. Various businesses will be
notified of the schedule as it progresses and asked to use back entrances during the construction of the
sidewalk in front of their doors. Phase 2, Ottertail Aggregate will continue placing the aggregate for the roadway base between Fourth and Sixth Avenue West. Lastly, on Phase 3, R.L. Larson will be working on the watermain replacement early next week, with service connections scheduled throughout the week.
Following the watermain replacement, R.L. Larson will shift to Storm Sewer replacement throughout Phase
3.
5-24-24 Project Update
Rain, rain, go away… Although work has progressed on Main Street over the course of the past week, the
rain has impacted some of the activities that were planned to be completed. Early this week, Knife Lake
Concrete worked on the installation of sidewalk on the easterly portion of Phase 1 (Third to Fifth Avenue)
and touched up the missing sections of concrete in areas that were not completed last week. Ottertail
Aggregate hauled in the last of the aggregate base in the phase and has worked on shaping and compacting
the roadbed throughout the week. On Thursday, Parsons Electric started laying the conduits for the new
lighting on the east side of Phase 1 and will continue into early next week.
On Phase 2, R.L. Larson continued the underground utility replacement with watermain connections to the
Emergency Services Building and the installation of a new hydrant. Storm sewer was also installed in the
phase, with one storm sewer inlet remaining that will be completed with the work on Phase 3.
On Wednesday, the detour for Phase 3 was implemented, with a closure of Main Street from Phase 2 to the
intersection of County Highways 34 and 51. Following the placement of the detour, Ottertail Aggregate
started removals at the intersection of Seventh Avenue West and will continue throughout the day today
toward the western end of the phase. The pavement, curb and gutter has been left in place between Sixth
and Seventh Avenue, as no utility replacement will occur on that block. The intention is to leave the
surface on the block until the new roadway preparation is scheduled.
On Thursday and today, R.L. Larson is working on connections for various properties in Phase 3 into the
temporary water system. The underground utility improvements on Phase 3 will consist primarily of
watermain replacement and the temporary water system will provide water to the buildings along the
phase during the replacement.
With the rain today, the scheduled paving of Phase 1 has been delayed into next week. Central Specialties
is planning to pave the first phase of the project on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, weather
dependent. Other contractors will be completing work on the Phase throughout the week, with the
electrical conduits, irrigation, and other items behind the curb being completed.
Knife Lake Concrete will be back in town mid-week to begin the construction of the sidewalk on Phase 1.
The sidewalk will be completed in various sections to allow for a colored portion of walk to guide
pedestrian access. The first concrete sidewalk that will be poured next week will be the “ribbon” sidewalk.
This sidewalk is the narrowest section of the walk closest to the building and varies in width (six inches to
nearly two feet) based on the distance from the buildings to the curb. Businesses will be notified the day
prior to the pouring of the ribbon walk, to prepare for alternative access.
2024 Main Street Project Update
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
With utilities completed in Phase 2, Ottertail Aggregate will begin the excavation of the existing material on
the roadway to prepare for the installation of the aggregate base. R.L. Larson will continue with the
underground utility replacement on Phase 3 and will begin with the watermain work near the intersection
of Seventh Avenue and will be working west with the replacement. A minor shut down of neighboring
blocks will be communicated early in the week to allow for the installation of valves at the connection point
near Seventh Avenue.
5-17-24 Project Update
Over the course of the past week, work has continued on Phases 1 and 2 on the Main Street Project. On
Phase 1, Ottertail Aggregate has completed the last of the removals of sidewalk and pavers and has been
hauling aggregate to the site preparing for the upcoming concrete and bituminous pavement
improvements. Knife Lake Concrete has been in town with various crews throughout the week, installing
the new concrete sidewalk from Sixth Avenue East to Eleventh Avenue East on the south side of Main
Street. This new sidewalk will provide a connection throughout the City along the busy roadway.
On Thursday, Knife Lake started the construction of the curb and gutter in Phase 1. Starting at the
intersection of Third Avenue East, Knife Lake worked their way east to the end of Phase 1 and turned
around to head back toward downtown. This morning, Knife Lake constructed the last of the curb and
gutter in Phase 1, with minor connections at storm sewer inlets and other areas being established through
the remainder of the day.
On Phase 2, one of R.L. Larson’s crews continued with the construction of the sanitary sewer mains and
services between Fifth and Sixth Avenue West. On Tuesday, one of the crews left town, with one crew
remaining for the rest of the underground improvements. R.L. Larson also placed a temporary water
system in advance of Phase 3 construction, which will provide water to the various properties along the
project area as the watermain is replaced in the upcoming phase.
Next week, work will continue throughout the project in various phases. Work in Phase 1 will primarily
consist of the installation of aggregate and shaping of the roadway to prepare for pavement later in the
week. Currently Central Specialties is scheduled to construct the bottom four inches of pavement on the
roadway later next week. As discussed last week, this work will be completed prior to the placement of
sidewalks in the phase to allow for the installation of light bases, irrigation, and other components beneath
the sidewalk. From Third to Fifth Avenue East, Knife Lake will begin working on driveway apron
replacement and other sidewalk construction. Please stay off the new concrete until directed to allow for
proper curing.
R.L. Larson anticipates completing the last of the underground utilities in Phase 2 throughout the course of
the week with hydrant relocations, water service modifications, and storm sewer installation at the
intersections.
On Wednesday, additional traffic control signage will be going up on the west end of the project in advance
of removals on Phase 3 (Seventh Avenue to County Highway 34/51). If R.L. Larson is able to complete the
utilities earlier in the week, Ottertail Aggregate will begin removals from Seventh Avenue to the west on
Thursday. Because there is no utility replacement on the block from Sixth to Seventh Avenue West, the
existing surfacing will remain until the street improvements are necessary in a few weeks.
5-10-24 Project Update
Even with the rain early this week, construction has continued on Main Street. R.L. Larson’s two
construction crews finished the underground water, sewer, and storm sewer on Phase 1. Yesterday, one of
the crews shifted to Phase 2, the portion of Main Street from Fourth to Sixth Avenue West. The crew
started the sanitary sewer main replacement at Fourth Avenue and is working west. The second crew
finished excavating and installing conduit crossings at the intersection of Second Avenue East and will be
assisting with the replacement in Phase 2 now. NOTE: A minor shut down will be required to replace the
hydrant in front of the Emergency Services building during the week. Notification for the roughly four hour
shut-down will be provided to those affected by the limited water. R.L. Larson anticipates being done with
the main replacement within the next two weeks.
With the completion of the underground utilities on Phase 1, Ottertail Aggregate has started hauling Class 5
gravel for the road base. Currently, they are concentrating on the intersections through the first phase,
working from east to west, and will be moving to the remaining portions of Main Street over the next few
days. With approximately 1,000 tons of Class 5 per block, expect additional truck traffic.
Early next week, other subcontractors will be arriving in town to work in multiple areas of the project.
Parson’s Electric will be back on site installing additional conduits in the downtown area for irrigation and
lighting.
Knife Lake Concrete will also be arriving on site to begin work on the sidewalk east of Phase 1 that will
extend from Sixth Avenue East to Eleventh Avenue Southeast on the south side of Main Street. The plan is
to begin forming the improvements on Monday and pouring the concrete sidewalk throughout the
remainder of the week. Towards the end of next week, Knife Lake plans to begin constructing the new curb
and gutter in Phase 1. The curb and gutter will be the first noticeable component of the street
reconstruction, with sidewalk and pavement to follow. Because there are additional items that will be
installed within the sidewalk area, including irrigation, lights, trees, and various handholes for electrical
connections, the sidewalk construction will occur after the paving of the first four inches of bituminous
pavement on the roadway.
On Monday and throughout the course of the week, the City will be working with Arvig to replace natural
gas services to approximately ten properties in Phase 1. The services will be installed through a
combination of trenching and directional drilling to limit the impacts outside of Main Street.
2024 Main Street Project Update
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
With the early spring, we anticipate work to progress into additional phases over the next few weeks west
of downtown (Sixth Avenue West to County 34/51). More information will be provided as the phases
progress. There is the potential for a lull in construction during the middle of summer before the final
phase (1st Avenue to 4th Avenue West) which is unable to start until after the early part of August. For
specific information and maps regarding the phasing, please see the Chamber’s website, with a link located
at the end of this update.
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.
5/3/24 Project Update
R.L. Larson’s two construction crews continue to work on the underground utility replacement in Phase 1,
completing the replacement of the sanitary sewer mains yesterday. On Thursday afternoon, one of the
crews also stubbed the sanitary sewer main out of Main Street north on Second Avenue Northeast in
advance of Phase 1B, which will occur later in the project following railroad permitting. The crew working
on the easterly portion of Phase 1 began sanitary sewer service replacement connecting homes to the new
mains late in the week. Today, service replacement will be the primary task both on the east and west
sides of Phase 1 with each crew working on connections.
On Monday, a short shut down of water for properties along Main Street from Second to Third Avenue East
will occur to allow for a connection and extension of watermain north on Second Avenue for Phase 1B. The
connection will require the intersection to be closed for vehicular crossings until completed. Following the
completion of the remaining sanitary sewer services and watermain, R.L. Larson will switch to the
replacement of the storm sewer, manholes, and inlets in Phase 1. The storm sewer excavations will occur
primarily at intersections, so shutdowns of various intersections will be necessary throughout the week.
Following the completion of the underground utilities, the remaining sidewalk sections and brick pavers will
have to be removed to allow for the preparation of subgrade and aggregate throughout the phase.
Following the removal, a combination of mats and temporary boardwalks will be placed to provide access
to downtown businesses. Next week, Ottertail Aggregate will begin working on subgrade preparation and
installation of aggregate base for the eventual roadbed. Based on the improvement scheduling, work will
start on the east end of Phase 1 and work to the west as additional utilities are completed. The 12 inches
of aggregate base will be placed in advance of the placement of conduits, irrigation, and eventual concrete
and bituminous pavement construction. Please do what you can to continue to support these businesses
while the improvements are being made.
On Monday morning, traffic control signage will be placed for the work on Phase 2 (Fourth Avenue to Sixth
Avenue West). Following the placement of traffic control, the roadway will be closed to allow for the
removal of trees, pavement, sidewalk, and other surface features in advance of the sanitary sewer
reconstruction. Removals will be completed over the course of the week, with underground utility
replacement scheduled to start the following week.
The detour for Phase 2 will re-direct traffic from Main Street to Second Street South between Third and
Seventh Avenues during the improvements. The intersection of Sixth Avenue West will be kept open to the
extent possible during construction to allow truck traffic to traverse the area but will be required to be
closed for the replacement of the sanitary sewer later in the phase. For specific information and maps
regarding the phasing, please see the Chamber’s website, with a link located at the end of this update.
2024 Main Street Project Update
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
On Monday morning, staff from the City and Apex will be in the back room at Lake’s Café from 8:00 to 8:30
and will be available to discuss schedule updates and other concerns from property owners, citizens, or
other interested community members.
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.
4-26-24 Project Update
Construction is underway on Main Street and moving quickly. On Monday morning, removals started at
the intersection of Third Avenue East and Main Street and worked to the west toward First Avenue. The
existing pavement, curb and gutter, trees grates and lights were removed early this week, with completion
near the intersection of First Avenue on Tuesday. Following the removals, snow fencing was placed along
the existing brick pavers to allow pedestrian access to businesses in the first phase of construction.
On Tuesday, R.L. Larson replaced the existing fire hydrants at the intersections of Second and Third Avenue.
Thank you to all property owners along the first phase in working with the contractor for the temporary
water outage during the hydrant replacement.
On Wednesday, R.L. Larson started with the sanitary sewer replacement on the first phase. With two crews
in town, one started at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and the other at Third Avenue both working their
way to the west. The crew working in the downtown portion of the replacement area between Second and
Third Avenues is nearly complete with the sewer replacement including services on that block but stopped
work for the week a little early today with the rain. The crew replacing the sewer east of Third Avenue will
continue working to the west, with assistance from the second crew next week with the deeper sewer main
replacement.
On Monday, one of the crews will begin work back in the downtown area with sewer main replacement at
the intersection of Second Avenue. This work will require the closure of the intersection for the day.
Access to businesses on the north side of the roadway should utilize the back alley near the railroad tracks
until the utilities can be replaced. In addition to the sewer replacement in the intersection, a short shut
down of water to properties between Second and Third Avenue may be needed to stub water north on
Second Avenue in advance of Phase 1B, which will be connected to in the future.
By mid-week, both crews will be busy working on the sewer main replacement with one crew continuing
east of Third Avenue and the other crew concentrating on the block between First and Second Avenue East.
Following the sewer main replacement, services will be connected to properties along the block, which will
require a short-term sidewalk closure and removal of brick pavers to make the connections at the property
lines. Following the replacement, temporary mats or boardwalks will be placed in the area of the
excavation to allow for pedestrian access.
The current schedule is outlining a completion of all underground utilities in the first phase in
approximately two weeks, with surface grading to follow. With the expedited schedule, traffic control
signage will begin going up mid to late next week for Phase 2, from Fourth Avenue to Sixth Avenue West.
2024 Main Street Project Update
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
The signage will be placed in advance of removals, which are tentatively scheduled to begin the week of
May 6th.
On Monday morning, staff from the City and Apex will be in the back room at Lake’s Café from 8:00 to 8:30
and will be available to discuss schedule updates and other concerns from property owners, citizens, or
other interested community members.
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.
Wednesday April 25th Construction Photo
