Zone: South
Project: 52nd Avenue Reconstruction Project
Today, Monday October 14, contractors for the City of Fargo 52nd Avenue South improvement project will open the second Drain 27 bridge and remove the head-to-head traffic control from east end of the work zone. Motorists will be carried with one lane in each direction on both the eastbound and westbound bridges between 45th Street South and Veterans Boulevard.
Once the traffic shift is complete, 52nd Avenue drivers will encounter the following access:
• OPEN: Single westbound and eastbound driving lane between 45th St S and Veterans Blvd
• OPEN: One lane in each direction in the eastbound lanes west of 63rd Street South intersection
• OPEN: Intersection of 47th Street South, Veterans Blvd, 45th St S, 63rd St S, and 53rd Street South (right-in/right-out only)
• CLOSED: Full roadway between west of Veterans Blvd and east of 63rd St S for concrete cure time and curb and gutter work.
• CLOSED: 53rd Avenue South intersection remains closed to mainline traffic.
Once traffic has switched, crews will begin median concrete work and remove the temporary crossover east of the bridge through the east portion of the work zone.
The 52nd Ave S lane closure east of 45th St S has reopened to traffic with one through lane and one designed right-hand turn lane. The newly constructed right-turn lane remains closed for cure time to reach designed strength.
52nd Ave S between west of Veterans Blvd intersection to east of 63rd St S will remain closed until early November to allow crews to continue work on medians, colored concrete, lighting, permanent striping, and curb and gutter, site grading and shared-use path installation. All residential and business access will be maintained.
Motorists will also notice a new intersection design at three intersections along 52nd Ave S. The intersections of 47th St S, 53rd St S, and 53rd Ave S will operate as RCUT (Restricted Crossing U-Turn) intersections to better assist drivers with crossing multiple lanes of the widened roadway. The 47th St S RCUT intersection if fully open to drivers and the remaining RCUT intersections will open when project work is complete in early November.
RCUT intersection changes a traditional four-way stop intersection into a right-in and right-out intersection. When using an RCUT intersection motorists approaching divided highways from a side road are not allowed to make left turns or cross over traffic; instead, they are guided to take an right-hand turn onto 52nd Ave S and then make a U-turn at a designated median opening to continue travel.
Benefits of an RCUT intersection:
• Eliminates dangerous left-turn and cross traffic movements (T-Bone)
• Offers a well-defined access to the arterial roadway
• Cost effective and safe solution for smaller intersections that don’t qualify for a signal system
The intersections of 63rd St S, Veterans Blvd, and 45th St S will all be signalized intersections.
Motorists are encouraged to add extra time to their travel plans through the area during peak hours. Speeds are reduced near the school on Veterans Blvd.
The mile and a half stretch of 52nd Ave S between 45th St S and 63rd St S improvement project is spread over six-phases through November and is completely reconstructing the rural two-lane roadway to an urban four-lane divided roadway with dedicated turn lanes.
Phase work will overlap or begin after specific phases are complete. Eastbound and westbound 52nd Ave S will be reconstructed in multiple phases between:
• East side of Veterans Blvd to west of 45th St S
• East of 63rd St S to west of Veterans Blvd
• West of the 63rd St S intersection to east of McMahon Estates Circle
**Please remember all schedules are tentative and weather dependent.