Oct 11

Oct 11 Travel alert: Expect lane closures, delays on South Broadway through October

Attention drivers: Lane closures due to pavement rehabilitation will impact travel on South Broadway for the rest of the month.

Drivers are advised to avoid sections of the corridor for the next three weeks, or at a minimum, plan their trips to allow for added travel time.

Here's more information from the Rochester Department of Public Works:

Project Timeline

*As with any project, this schedule is dependent upon favorable weather conditions

Tuesday, Oct. 11

Road closures on Broadway Avenue from 25th Street South to 12th Street South (Highway 14) will begin. One lane of travel will be maintained in each direction at all times.

Tuesday, Oct. 11 - Thursday, Oct. 20 (Weeks 1 and 2)

Milling of the existing pavement will begin. The milled areas will be paved immediately after the milling. There will be a tremendous amount of construction activity and equipment along Broadway for these operations.

Monday, Oct. 24 through Friday, Oct. 28 (Week 3)

Striping of travel lanes on the new pavement

Reason for Project

The City completed a study in 2015 that evaluated the condition of the pavement on Broadway. The Broadway Corridor Study identified this segment of South Broadway Avenue as the second highest priority for pavement rehabilitation in the corridor. The road was last rehabilitated with a new driving surface in 1997. The pavement condition and bumpiness of the road, formally known as the ride factor, were used to determine the priority for rehabilitation work.

“Delaying this rehabilitation project would ultimately result in a significantly more expensive need for reconstruction of the entire street in the future,” said Public Works Director Richard Freese. Additionally, the planned mill and overlay project does not require the complete closure of a roadway and access to driveways and side streets will be maintained.

A “mill and overlay” is a street maintenance or pavement preservation strategy performed on streets made out of asphalt, also known as bituminous (black/gray colored). This technique is considered a rehabilitation vs. reconstruction because the gravel base under the road as well as the bottom portion of asphalt are left and only the top portion of the road is new.

The new bituminous overlay is expected to last approximately 12-15 years.

Rochester Sand and Gravel is conducting this rehabilitation project as part of the contract with the City that also includes the construction of a traffic signal at the Broadway/3rd Avenue SE intersection.

The cost of the mill and overlay project is approximately $1.3 million and is being funded using Turnback Funds from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

Project updates will be available here.