Minnesota Street Reconstruction Phase 1

Project Details

Description
The City of Saint Paul plans to reconstruct Minnesota Street in downtown. The project includes demolition and replacement of the pavement, sidewalks, and underground utilities along the corridor. The Public Works goals of the project are to:

Improve safety for all users
Implement a bikeway connection
Improve the transit user experience downtown
Modernize the aging infrastructure
Create a resilient and people-oriented corridor
Support the evolving needs of downtown users

Location
Minnesota Street from Kellogg Boulevard to 11th Street in downtown.

Timeline
Community engagement began in early 2021. Construction for Phase 1 from Kellogg Boulevard to 6th Street will begin in 2023. Phase 2 construction, which is Minnesota Street from 6th Street to 11th Street, will begin in 2024.

Tags

Detours & Business Access

Minnesota Street is closed to thru traffic from Kellogg Boulevard to 6th Street. Local access to businesses and parking ramps is open.
- To access businesses and parking ramps on Minnesota Street between Kellogg Boulevard and 4th Street, enter Minnesota Street from Kellogg Boulevard. Exit to 4th Street westbound (left) only.
- To access businesses and parking ramps on Minnesota Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, enter from westbound 4th Street from Robert Street. Exit northbound on Minnesota Street to 5th Street eastbound only.
- Minnesota Street is closed between 5th Street and 6th Street.
- 4th Street is closed between Robert Street and Minnesota Street.
Please understand that there may be times during deliveries of materials to the project and during construction activities that access may be temporarily blocked. The contractor will make sure that these disruptions are infrequent and a very short duration. The contractor will also notify businesses when these occurrences take place.

Map of local access on Minnesota Street during construction; 4th Street closed between Robert Street and Minnesota Street

Road Closures, Parking, and Access

During construction, Minnesota Street from Kellogg Boulevard to Sixth Street will be closed. The project will work with property owners and businesses to maintain access, including access to parking ramps. There may be times when access will be temporarily restricted. On-street parking restrictions may also apply. Please be mindful of posted signs and hooded parking meters.

Map of Minnesota Street detour: vehicle detour is Kellogg Boulevard to Wabasha Street north to 7th Street

Who do I contact with questions?

If you have questions about the Minnesota Street project, please contact Terry Campbell with Stantec at 507-512-9890. Terry is the on-site construction representative.

If you have general questions, please contact Saint Paul Public Works at 651-266-6100 or publicworksinfo@ci.stpaul.mn.us. If you have specific concerns or technical/construction questions, contact City Project Engineer Barb Mundahl at 651-266-6112 or Barbara.Mundahl@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Gold Line & Utility Construction Work

Met Council, Xcel Energy, Comcast, and others are working on Minnesota Street and nearby streets. Please follow all posted signs. Access to businesses will be maintained.

Met Council

Met Council is doing significant construction on 5th and 6th Streets between Robert Street and Cedar Street.
- 6th Street is restricted to one traffic lane from Robert Street to Cedar Street due to Xcel Energy utility work and construction for Metro Transit's Gold Line.
- 5th Street is restricted to one traffic lane from Wabasha Street to Minnesota due to private construction on a building and construction for Metro Transit's Gold Line.
- To sign up for their project updates and see more information, visit the Metro Gold Line webpage.

Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy is currently working on Minnesota Street. Xcel Energy's work area will move north along Minnesota Street from Kellogg Boulevard to 11th Street.

Questions about Xcel Energy work, contact Elisa Rasmussen at elisa.rasmussen@xcelenergy.com.

Project Updates

Weekly updates will be shared in a PDF that includes a list of anticipated construction activities by block, an update of what's happening, and what work to expect.

For questions or issues, reach out first to the City's contractor Stantec:

Terry Campbell (On-site Construction Representative) – 507-512-9890
Alan Offerman (Project Manager) – alan.offerman@stantec.com or 651-308-9560
Mike Hirsch (Construction Manager) – michael.hirsch@stantec.com or 651-775-5150
Tom Schuster (Construction Inspection) – tom.schuster@stantec.com or 612-247-5194

Weekly Updates

This week (June 26 - 30)
- Construction has started on Minnesota Street from Kellogg Boulevard to 6th Street
- Minnesota Street is closed to thru traffic from Kellogg Boulevard to 6th Street. Local access to businesses and parking ramps is open. One traffic lane is being maintained on Minnesota Street for local access only.
  
  To access businesses and parking ramps on Minnesota Street between Kellogg Boulevard and 4th Street, enter Minnesota Street from Kellogg Boulevard. Exit to 4th Street westbound (left) only.
  
  To access businesses and parking ramps on Minnesota Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, enter from westbound 4th Street from Robert Street. Exit northbound on Minnesota Street to 5th Street eastbound (left) only. Roadway surface has been milled, but is drivable.
  
  To access businesses and parking ramps on Minnesota Street between 5th Street and 6th Street, enter from eastbound 5th Street. Exit northbound on Minnesota Street.
- Met Council is doing significant construction on 5th and 6th Streets between Robert Street and Cedar Street.
  
  6th Street is restricted to one traffic lane from Robert Street to Cedar Street due to Xcel Energy utility work and construction for Metro Transit's Gold Line.
  
  5th Street is restricted to one traffic lane from Wabasha Street to Minnesota due to private construction on a building and construction for Metro Transit's Gold Line.
  
  To sign up for their project updates and see more information, visit the Metro Gold Line webpage.
- Road and lane closures will continue to change throughout construction. Please follow all posted signs.
The City of Saint Paul’s Minnesota Street Reconstruction Project from Kellogg Boulevard to 6th Street is slated to begin week of June 26 and continue through November. We anticipate this work to begin on the south end of the project at Kellogg Boulevard and proceed north to Sixth Street.

Xcel Energy, Comcast, and other utilities have already been working on Minnesota Street to update or relocate their facilities in preparation of this project.

In addition to the city’s Minnesota Street reconstruction project, Met Council is also doing significant construction work this year on 5th and 6th streets between Robert Street and Cedar Street. There will be several road closures on nearby streets that could also impact commuter traffic and access. To stay up-to-date on this project, we highly recommend that you sign up for their project updates and visit their website at https://www.metrotransit.org/gold-line-project.

Saint Paul Public Works will work with property owners and businesses to maintain access during construction. We have met with many property owners, businesses, and tenants to discuss specific concerns and project timing. Please reach out to us directly with any issues and we will try to minimize disruptions to businesses and residents as much as possible.

How do I stay informed about this project?

To find project information, updates, and maps, and to sign up for periodic email updates, visit stpaul.gov/Minnesotastreet.

Who do I contact with questions?

The City has contracted with Veit & Company, Inc to perform the construction on the Minnesota Street project. The project foreman is Chris Rowell at 612-490-2013.

In addition, we are working with Stantec Engineering to provide on-site project support with regular inspections. They are designated as the primary contact to address any questions, concerns, or issues that you may have. The Stantec contacts are:
- Alan Offerman (Project Manager) – alan.offerman@stantec.com or 651-308-9560
- Mike Hirsch (Construction Manager) – michael.hirsch@stantec.com or 651-775-5150
- Tom Schuster (Construction Inspection) – tom.schuster@stantec.com or 612-247-5194
If you have general questions, please contact Saint Paul Public Works at 651-266-6100 or publicworksinfo@ci.stpaul.mn.us. If you have specific concerns or technical/construction questions, contact City Project Engineer Barb Mundahl at 651-266-6112 or Barbara.Mundahl@ci.stpaul.mn.us
View a presentation of the feedback received

Thank you to everyone who participated in the concept design process for the Minnesota Street Reconstruction Project. Over the past year, staff has collected hundreds of survey responses, conducted dozens of formal and informal stakeholder meetings, and initiated engineering and utility design on the corridor.

There were four key themes that emerged from discussions of the three Options presented in Fall of 2021:
- Street trees & pedestrian buffers is a top priority
- A protected bicycle facility is necessary to safely accommodate current and future users, including emerging modes
- Two travel lanes is necessary to enable efficient commutes into and out of downtown
- A parking or loading zone is necessary on every block to maintain local building access and flexibility in the long term
These themes were used to create the following proposed hybrid option for Minnesota Street:

Click here for a larger image of the cross-section

The Transportation Committee unanimously approved the cross-section on July 11, 2022 which enabled staff to enter Final Design and prepare the corridor for Phase 1 construction in 2023.

Documents

This third phase of engagement in Spring 2022 included dozens of property owner and stakeholder meetings, which culminated in the following proposed design:
- Summary of Proposed Concept - PDF slides of feedback received through entire concept design process
- Concept Layout (dated June 22, 2022) - PDF engineering document showing how this concept looks through the whole corridor
- Typical Cross-Section - Image file of the most constrained section of the corridor
- Transportation Committee Recommendation to enter Final Design phase - July 11, 2022
The second virtual Open House closed on November 5th, 2021

Read a summary of the feedback received

Thank you for participating in this second round of engagement for the Minnesota Street Reconstruction Project. Through all of our efforts to date, we heard the following key themes:
- Landscaping and pedestrian buffer from traffic is a top priority
- To accommodate all users safely, a protected bicycle facility is highly desirable
- Parking should be considered on a block-by-block basis once other modal needs have been met
This second phase of engagement in Fall of 2021 included:
- Recording of Virtual Meeting - 45 minute presentation from the virtual meeting held October 5, 2021.
- Presentation Slides - PDF slides from the virtual meeting.
- Blank Design Possibilities Survey - PDF of survey questions
- Summary of Key Themes from Round 2 - PDF of feedback received
There will be plenty more opportunities to engage with the project team as the design progresses. To stay informed of those opportunities, sign up for project updates in the blue bar below.
The first virtual Open House closed on June 16, 2021

Read a summary of the feedback received

Thank you for participating in this virtual event. There will be plenty more opportunities to engage with the project team as the design progresses. To stay informed of those opportunities, sign up for project updates in the blue bar below.

This phase of engagement included:
- Project Introduction Video - 15 minute video introducing the project; links to YouTube.
- Project Introduction Presentation - PDF slides from Open House Round 1: Project Introduction.
- Blank Corridor Priorities Survey - PDF of survey questions
- Round 1 Feedback Summary - Summary of the feedback received in this first round of engagement

Virtual Presentation

Virtual Presentation
Please watch the Minnesota Street Reconstruction presentation video to learn more about the project. You can also view the PowerPoint slides used in the video.

Concept Design

Thank you to everyone who participated in the concept design process for the Minnesota Street Reconstruction Project. In 2021 and 2022, staff collected hundreds of survey responses, conducted dozens of formal and informal stakeholder meetings, and initiated engineering and utility design on the corridor. You can read summaries of all the feedback in the Project Updates section below.

Here are the key themes that we have heard over 15 months of conversations:

Street trees & pedestrian buffers are a top priority
A protected bicycle facility is necessary to safely accommodate current and future users, including emerging modes of transportation
Two travel lanes are necessary to enable efficient commutes into and out of downtown
A parking or loading zone is necessary on every block to maintain local building access and flexibility in the long term

Concept Design Images

With these key themes in mind, the concept for Minnesota Street includes sidewalks on both sides of the street, a boulevard/buffer space that is wide enough for street trees on one side, a two-way bike facility, a parking or loading zone lane, and two drive lanes.

Cross section of design for Minnesota Street showing the right of way from west to east with 5.5 foot sidewalk, 2 foot buffer, 8 foot 2 direction bike lane, 6 foot boulevard with street lights, 8 foot parking lane, 10 foot driving lane, 11 foot bus lane, 3.5 foot boulevard with street light, 6 foot sidewalk

Click here for a larger image of the cross-section

Review a PDF Layout of the whole corridor *updated July 22, 2022*

This concept is a hybrid version of all the options presented in Fall 2021. It was developed as a result of public and stakeholder feedback. The concept will change slightly on each block in order to respond to adjacent property owner needs.

This concept was presented to the City of Saint Paul Transportation Committee on July 11, 2022 for final approval and the start of the final design phase of work.

Unanimous approval was received and therefore final design was completed in 2022 and included:

Internal and external engineering review
Intersection design
Utility design
Design of the streetscape and pedestrian areas
Construction phasing and coordination

We appreciate your feedback and input into this process. If you have any other ideas or questions, please reach out to the project team.

Project Documents

- Project Map - Phase 1
- Project Notification Letter - 2/7/23
- Project Update Letter - 6/20/23
- February 2023 PowerPoint Slides for Video Presentation

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Minnesota Street Reconstruction Phase 1

Project Details

Detours & Business Access