Zone: Downtown
Project: Main Avenue Reconstruction Project
Next week crews for the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and City of Fargo Main Avenue reconstruction will begin work at one of the major intersections planned to be reconstructed between the Red River Bridge to Broadway in the first year of downtown Fargo infrastructure improvements.
Starting, Monday, April 29 by 7 AM, the second traffic shift will begin on Main Avenue. Crews will fully close the Main Avenue and 4th Street South intersection to all directions of traffic. Work is slated to continue at the 4th St S and Main Avenue intersection until late-June. The intersection will reopen to north – south traffic movements when work is complete.
When traffic control is in place, drivers can expect:
- Main Avenue between 2nd Street South through 4th St S intersection fully closed to traffic.
- North side Main Avenue driveway access between 2nd Street South and 4th Street South will be maintained across Main Avenue into the Gateway Center parking lot by temporary roads.
- Main Avenue pedestrian path will be maintained on the north side of Main Avenue between 2nd St S to cross at the temporary local access road and be carried on the south side of Main Avenue through the intersection closure at 4th St S.
- Posted detour route is Northern Pacific (NP) Avenue between 8th St and 2nd St S.
The First Avenue North Red River Bridge reopened to traffic today, April 25.
Motorists should be aware of flood related closures affecting river crossing routes or adjacent downtown Fargo project work that may affect detour routes:
- Opening Soon: 1st Avenue North bridge is expected to reopen at 4 p.m. today, April 25. The 12th Avenue bridge will reopen when the Red River reaches an elevation of 28 feet and debris can be removed.
- Beginning Monday, April 29: City of Moorhead’s Center Avenue reconstruction work will begin with the utility work from 4 – 8 Street. Center Avenue bridge work is slated to begin soon after, which will require full closure of the bridge for six to eight weeks. Bridge traffic will be rerouted to 1st Avenue North. The bridge and utility projects are expected to be complete in mid-July.
- Complete in July: 2nd St S south of Main Avenue remains closed to all traffic for flood mitigation project work
Congestion is expected on the detour routes during peak hours of travel through downtown Fargo and into Moorhead. The NDDOT and City of Fargo urge motorists to not stop on railroad tracks and allow space between the vehicle ahead of you when congestion exists near railroad crossing on 8th Street South. Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and think about the best routes based on your travel time through the area.
PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS
Area residents and businesses can ask questions to project engineers and contractor at the biweekly information meetings.
Meeting Details:
TIME: 11:30 a.m. to Noon
LOCATION: Depot (701 Main Avenue)
FREQUENCY: Every other Thursday
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, May 9
PROJECT WORK
Crews will continue to work east to west toward Broadway with crews completing this year’s project work at 2nd Street South to build the two-lane roundabout. Although the contractor can work on roadway phases concurrently, there are a few exceptions to the reconstruction phasing:
- Broadway and 4th St S intersections will not be closed at the same time
- Work can begin on the roadway removals and underground between 4th Street South intersection and east of Broadway intersection can start ahead of the opening of 4th Street South intersection, which will remove on-street parking on Main Avenue in this stretch.
- 2nd St S and Main Avenue intersection work will be maintained westbound to northbound, and southbound to eastbound on 2nd St S until early August
- Pedestrian access to all businesses along Main Avenue will be provided and sidewalk work will not begin until after the roadway is complete. Temporary on-road delineated paths will be used by pedestrians during the sidewalk work.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The two-year makeover of Main Avenue in downtown Fargo is a joint project between the NDDOT and City of Fargo to transform this gateway into a safe, accessible and beautiful passageway to and through the heart of Fargo.
The project will improve 50 – 60-year-old underground infrastructure, an aging driving surface and lessen the pedestrian system gaps through the downtown corridor. The 2019 project work from the Red River through Broadway includes:
- Upgrade existing water main, sanitary sewer system and storm sewer
- Construction roundabout at the 2nd St intersection
- Replace roadway pavement, traffic signals, street lighting and landscaping features
- Widen pedestrian facilities on both sides of Main Avenue, with new pedestrian crossings
- Additional on-street parking
In 2020, the second-year of reconstruction work will improve Main Avenue between Broadway to University Drive in downtown Fargo. When the roadway is complete next fall, Main Avenue roadway will be a hybrid design consisting of a 3-lane alternative from 2nd Street to 9th Street, transitioning to a 4-lane section between 9th Street and 11th Street, and a 5-lane section west of 11th Street as well as double-lane roundabout at the Main Avenue and 2nd St S intersection.