Railway Ave set to open Friday afternoon
MINOT, N.D. ( KXNET ) — It's going to get a little easier traveling through a part of the Magic City undergoing construction for a flood protection project. The area that's been closed for a while is ready to open later this week.
City leaders are building a flood control project In Minot which requires the construction of a new flood wall, which runs from Third Street past Thirteenth Street. This flood wall sits on the center line of the old railway Ave.
"For that to take place," states Minot's Public Utilities Director Jason Sorenson, "we had to remove all of the old utilities. We had to shift everything to the North. There are miles of utility relocated along that corridor of the flood wall, including a new storm sewer system. There is a flood pump station, a detention pond, and some earth and a levy for tie-ins."
The project involved 4,400 feet of roadway improvements and about 53,000 feet of underground utilities that were removed and replaced. Minot crews are already working on the next phases of the flood protection project.
"As this one is wrapping up," Sorenson continues, "we have two other projects that are started across the river from M-I 6 and 7. Those are the two projects that are happening in and around Roosevelt Park and Central Ave. We've also begun designs on M-I 8 and M-I 9, and then work continues on the design of M-I 4 — which is the maple diversion project."
They say phase five is expected to be complete next summer. Meanwhile, Railway Ave opening will allow those in the neighborhood to use the street to help with their commute.
"All those people in Northeast Minot that relied on it to get to the east part of Minot will now have that route back," Sorenson adds. "I can't speak for them, but I am sure all of them will be pretty pleased that it's open again."
But the project won't be done just yet. After two years of being closed, city leaders say railway Ave is expected to officially be open late Friday afternoon. They add that when the project is complete, 60% of Minot residents will be out of the proposed FEMA floodplain.
