Main Street Updates
8-30-24 Project Update
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.
8-23-24 Project Update
Project Update
Various construction crews have been working on multiple portions of Main Street throughout the week,
with activities occurring on Phase 4 (First Avenue to Fourth Avenue West) and on the west side of town
outside of the City Limits.
Early this week, the intersection of Main Street and First Avenue removals occurred, with the existing
pavement and concrete removed by Ottertail Aggregate in advance of the underground utility
improvements. With the removals, all traffic was redirected to Second Avenue East on the detour route
and back to Fourth Avenue utilizing Second Street South as the bypass through the zone. Following the
removal of the surface, R.L. Larson started the utility replacement in the intersection working on both the
sanitary sewer and storm sewer replacement throughout the week. Today, the intersection will be opened
on a temporary aggregate surface with four way stops to allow for traffic through the construction zone
due to the events scheduled for the weekend around town.
This week, the Full Depth Reclamation also began on the west side of town on County 80 from County
34/51 to Highway 10 west of town. The reclamation is being completed in sections and flaggers are being
used following an alternative traffic control method tried earlier this week. Full Depth Reclamation is a
rehabilitation method in which the full thickness of the asphalt pavement is pulverized and blended with a
portion of the underlying aggregate base to provide a new base for the roadway. Please be advised that if
you are coming into town on the roadway, it may be beneficial to utilize other roadways (County 34) as you
may be delayed by the construction activities and the flaggers required to complete the work.
On Tuesday, a drone was used to fly over the construction zone showing the various activities downtown.
Attached is a view of the activities from Fourth Avenue West looking toward downtown.
Upcoming Activities
Next week, R.L. Larson will continue with the underground utility replacement on Main Street. They will primarily work on the sanitary sewer main lines from First Avenue to the west. The intersection of First
Avenue will again be shut down for a portion of the week to allow for storm sewer modifications, please
follow detour signage when the detour is in place. Keep in mind that although the detour will be up, the
DOWNTOWN IS OPEN! Access to downtown businesses can be made through the alleys north of Main
Street and the side avenues up to the roadway. Please follow the link at the bottom of the page, which
redirects you to the Perham Chamber’s website and includes a map of access to various facilities.
Sidewalks will also remain in place as long as possible to allow pedestrian access to the various businesses
in the construction phase.
The reclamation of County 80 west of town will also continue over the course of next week, which consists
of mixing the existing pavement and aggregate to allow for a new base for the upcoming pavement of the
highway. As advised earlier, alternative routes into town are recommended, if possible, to avoid delays
caused by the construction activities.
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.
8-16-24 Project Update
Project Update
Main Street construction has started again! On Tuesday, a majority of the new detour redirecting traffic
from Main Street west of First Avenue was setup and on Wednesday, removals on Phase 4 began. Ottertail
Aggregate has been working on the removals and started west of the intersection of First Avenue to leave
the existing surface in place as long as possible. Removals have been primarily focused on the center of the
roadway, with the existing bricks left in place to allow for pedestrian access as long as possible. Today, they
finished the remaining removals to the intersection of Fourth Avenue, completing work for the week.
On other parts of the project, Knife Lake completed concrete improvements on Seventh Avenue Southeast
and Seventh Avenue Northeast including curb and gutter, driveways and valley gutters.
Upcoming Activities
Next week, additional crews will be arriving in town to complete additional project components. On
Monday morning, Ottertail Aggregate will begin removing pavement in the intersection of First Avenue,
which will require that all traffic be re-routed to a detour on Second Avenue Northeast. The removals will
be necessary to allow R.L. Larson to begin underground utilities in the intersection, first with the removal of
storm sewer in the intersection, followed by the replacement of sanitary sewer mains working west out of
the intersection.
The plan is to complete as much of the underground utilities as possible in the area to allow traffic to
return to the intersection later in the week in advance of the busy weekend. Although late in the week the
intersection may be open, please realize that the surface will be sand and may be susceptible to potholes
and other construction related debris.
Mid-week the pavement reclaimers are scheduled to come to town to begin reclaiming the existing
pavement on the west side of town from Highway 10 to the intersection of County 34 and 51. The
reclamation will be completed in phases, with the first phase consisting of the grinding and placement of
approximately ten inches of the existing roadway. This will be the primary goal next week, with a portion
of the material being removed in future weeks. The reclamation will be completed with a moving traffic
control system where flaggers will be used to direct traffic when one lane is closed for traffic utilizing
County 80 west of town. Please follow the direction of flaggers to allow for a safe working environment.
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.
8-9-24 Project Update
Over the course of the past two weeks, work has been limited on the Main Street Project. Last week, most construction activities occurred on Seventh Avenue Southeast from Main Street to Third Street South. Construction has been focused on the preparation of the aggregate base for the future roadway that will
connect the paved sections to the north and south of the construction area. Yesterday, one of Knife Lake Concrete’s crew arrived on site to begin placing stakes and string line for the construction of concrete curb and gutter.
This week, Lake’s Country Landscaping continued working on turf establishment, focusing on the portion of Main Street from Third Avenue East to Eleventh Avenue East. With our recent rains, the seeding on the westerly portion of Main Street is beginning to sprout. A few reminders regarding the establishment of turf are included below:
- When mowing the grass for the first time, don’t mow until the grass blades lay over a bit.
Yes, it will be long, but it needs to be left undisturbed while initially growing. Adjust your
mowing height to two (2) – inches or higher than your normal height and gradually lower
your mowing height over the next couple of mowings. - There may be some weeds that develop during the initial growing of the turf, these weeds
will subside as the turf underneath grows and will eventually disappear as the turf grass
thickens. Weeds will worsen if the turf is left unattended or cut too low. - Water, water, water. Water the turf regularly for the first couple months. When the
weather is hot, the grass needs to be watered at least twice a week. When the temps are
cool, it should stay moist. - The turf is fertilized before being installed, please do not fertilize until sixty days after initialplacement.
Upcoming Activities
Starting next week, the final phase of Main Street will begin to see construction activities. On Tuesday, a
detour will be setup for Phase 4, closing Main Street from the east side of the intersection of First Avenue
to the east side of the intersection of Fourth Avenue West. The detour will include the redirecting of traffic on County 8 to the intersection of Second Avenue East and the installation of a temporary four-way stop at the intersection of Main Street and Second Avenue by City Hall. Parking on Main Street between Second Avenue East and First Avenue will still be allowed, however, some of the stalls will be signed for “No Parking” near the intersection to allow a temporary U-Turn for vehicle traffic. Although the primary detour route will include Second Street South, there will be additional traffic utilizing the alley between Main Street and the Railroad, please be careful when traveling in the alley as there will be significantly more traffic and parking needed with the closure of Main Street.
Following the setup of the detour on Main Street, removals will begin at the intersection of First Avenue working to the west. Similarly to the Phase 1 improvement scheduling, removals will be focused on the existing roadway, curb and gutter, lighting, signals, and other surfaces necessary to complete the underground utility replacement. The existing pavers and sidewalk next to buildings will be left in place as long as possible to allow for pedestrian access throughout the construction. Please be careful when walking through the phase, as snow fences and other temporary access facilities may shift during the construction.
Ottertail Aggregate will be the contractor completing the majority of the removals throughout the phase
and will work to keep various intersections open when removals are not active. With limited side street access on the north side of Main Street, the intent is to allow crossing access on Avenues to the parking between Main Street and the railroad when construction activities are not required in the intersections.
In addition to the work on Phase 4, concrete improvements will be occurring on Seventh Avenue Southeastwith the construction of curb and gutter and driveway aprons near Nyhus Detailing and Crane Johnson. Following the curing of the new concrete, additional aggregate will be installed in the roadway to prepare the phase for pavement. Concrete improvements will also be occurring near the railroad crossing to the industrial park at Seventh Avenue Northeast. The improvements are necessary to address drainage at the intersection and will becompleted in sections to allow the crossing to remain open. Although the crossing will remain open, there may be restrictions to turning movements to keep heavy traffic off the new concrete. Please obey any signage restricting turning movements which may require utilizing other railroad crossings.
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.
7-19-24 Project Update
Project cleanup has been the theme over the course of the week after sliding the barricades late last week.
Over the course of the week, Ottertail Aggregate has been working on boulevard grading and topsoil
placement in Phases 2 and 3, as well as filling in additional aggregate material behind the concrete
driveways that were poured last Friday. The last of the barricades and ribbons at driveways and other
streets have been slid aside, allowing for access to properties throughout Phases 2 and 3.
Next week, work will be minimal throughout the project. By mid-week, ITS will return to the site and
remove the signage and the detour from phases 2 and 3. Following the removal, traffic will return to Main
Street, with the exception of the truck detour which is directing truck traffic away from Main Street.
Lakes Country Landscaping has indicated they will be working on preparing the boulevards on Phases 1
through 3 for new turf establishment. Preparation for turf in Phase 1 will require additional work to
remove the existing weed growth prior to new seeding. The establishment of turf takes some time, so please be careful when working around the newly seeded areas. Per the contract, the contractor is
responsible for getting the turf going in the right direction, but lawn building takes years to fully establish.
In order to establish a healthy lawn, we ask for a little help from property owners following the contractor
fulfilling their requirements of the contract.
Please see the following tips regarding the care for new turf below.
• When mowing the grass for the first time, don’t mow until the grass blades lay over a bit.
Yes, it will be long, but it needs to be left undisturbed while initially growing. Adjust your
mowing height to two (2) – inches or higher than your normal height and gradually lower
your mowing height over the next couple of mowings.
• There may be some weeds that develop during the initial growing of the turf, these weeds
will subside as the turf underneath grows and will eventually disappear as the turf grass
thickens. Weeds will worsen if the turf is left unattended or cut too low.
• Water, water, water. Water the turf regularly for the first couple months. When the
weather is hot, the grass needs to be watered at least twice a week. When the temps are
cool, it should stay moist.
• The turf is fertilized before being installed, please do not fertilize until sixty days after
initial placement.
• When cleaning the roadway in the winter, the County uses some salt when sanding the
roadway. Watering the turf early next spring will help dilute any salt that has accumulated.
7-12-24 Project Update
Central Specialties and Ottertail Aggregate have been working on Phases 1, 2 & 3 throughout the week.
Early in the week, Central Specialties finished the second lift of pavement on Phases 2 and 3. Ottertail
Aggregate worked on all three phases, cutting existing pavement and preparing the subgrade for tie-ins to
driveways and parking lots. Central Specialties followed the work by Ottertail Aggregate by paving the
driveway tie-ins Tuesday through Thursday.
This morning, Knife Lake Concrete returned to the site to continue pouring sidewalk and driveways on the
westerly portion of Phase 3, from Eighth Avenue to the intersection of County 34 and 51. Knife Lake
anticipates completing the remaining concrete on the phase by the end of the day.
At the end of the day today, traffic signage will be slid to the side of the roadway to allow traffic through
the construction zone for the day.
Next week, Ottertail Aggregate will be shaping the boulevards and tie-ins behind the new sidewalk and
driveways preparing the boulevards for new turf establishment.
Late next week, the detours for Phases 2 and 3 will be removed and traffic will return to Main Street for
approximately a month before construction in Phase 4 begins.
7-3-24 Project Update
With the shortened work week, construction has been limited to a few of the subcontractors on the
project. On Monday morning, Central Specialties began the construction of the first course of bituminous
pavement on Phases 2 & 3. The two-inch course of pavement was constructed over the course of Monday
and Tuesday morning along with connections to the connecting avenues. The second inch and a half
course of pavement was started late in the day, with the southern lane being the first constructed. Central
Specialties had to leave the project area this morning to pave at the current Trunk Highway 10 and County
60 project for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Later today, some of the barricades on Main Street near the intersection of Fourth Avenue West and
County 34/51 will be slid to the side of the roadway to allow for traffic to utilize the street over the long
weekend. Detours will remain up along Second Street South so the barricades can be shifted back on
Monday morning. When utilizing the roadway, please remember that it is an area still under construction,
so bumps and other areas can be expected when driving through the phases.
Next week, Central Specialties will return to the project to finish paving of the second course on Main
Street in Phases 2 and 3. The work is anticipated to be completed early in the week.
Also, next week, Knife Lake Concrete is scheduled to be back on Wednesday to complete the remaining
concrete on Phases 2 and 3 including the construction of driveways and sidewalks on the westerly portion
of the project.
6-28-24 Project Update
Progress continues along Main Street with activities primarily focused on Phases 2 and 3. On Monday, Knife
Lake Concrete arrived in town and has placing concrete all week. Over the course of the week, they have
constructed sidewalk and driveways working their way west from Fourth Avenue West toward the
intersection of County Highways 34 and 51. Any concrete that is not constructed this week will be
constructed during the week of July 8th. This will keep the area clear for other activities along the roadway
during the shortened holiday week. If you have received new driveways along your property, please keep
vehicles off the new concrete for a minimum of seven days to allow for curing of the new concrete.
Also, early this week, detour signage was removed on the easterly portion of the project where Phase 1
construction occurred. Even through the detour is down, Ottertail Aggregate has been cleaning up the
topsoil and other materials behind the curb in the phase. Weather dependent, Lakes Country Landscaping
will begin turf establishment on the portions of the project ready for seed. If your boulevard receives new
seeding, please keep an eye out for information sent in future updates regarding the care for new lawns.
Ottertail Aggregate has continued to prepare the road base of Main Street from Fourth Avenue West to
County 34 and 51. Final aggregate placement occurred early this week with grading, compacting, and
prepping the roadway for pavement. This work will continue throughout the day today and possibly over
the weekend to prepare for next week’s construction.
Next week, Central Specialties will arrive in town to begin paving the bottom two courses of bituminous
pavement on Main Street in Phases 2 and 3. The plan is to start paving on Monday with the completion of
the pavement by end of day Wednesday. Similarly to Phase 1, the pavement will be left approximately 1
and ½ inch below the final paving grade, which will occur later in the project.
With the Fourth of July holiday next week, work will be limited to activities on Monday through
Wednesday. The weekly project update will be sent out on Wednesday next week, updating everyone on
the activities completed, and which portions of the roadway will be open for the Fourth of July Holiday.
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.