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Description
Saint Paul Public Works Sewer Utility will be continuing work to repair West 7th Street sanitary tunnel infrastructure from Walnut Street to Kellogg Boulevard in 2026. The work will include constructing a new sanitary tunnel shaft, replacing an existing sanitary tunnel shaft, and completing tunnel repairs.

Location

  • West 7th Street from Chestnut Street to Kellogg Boulevard
  • West 7th Street at Walnut Street

Timeline
July to November 2026

Tags

Message from Saint Paul Regional Water Services:

Advance Notice - Water Main Break Investigation and Potential Water Service Interruption West 7th Street and Chestnut Street

Dear Neighbors and Business Owners,

Saint Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) has been notified of a suspected water main leak near West 7th Street and Chestnut Street. Addressing suspected leaks quickly is important. Unresolved leaks can lead to greater property and infrastructure damage over time, and they pose safety risks to the crews and the public working in and around the affected area.

Here is a summary of what to expect:

Friday, August 28, starting ~7:00 a.m.: Crews will conduct investigative work to locate and assess the leak. This is expected to take up to four hours. Unfortunately, to ensure safety during the investigation, West 7th Street will need to be temporarily closed between Kellogg Boulevard and Walnut Street during this time.

If a repair is needed: Based on Friday's findings, repair work is anticipated to begin late Sunday, August 30, requiring a temporary water shutoff starting at approximately 11:00 p.m. This will affect customers and businesses along West 7th Street between Kellogg Boulevard and Grand Avenue. We are hopeful to restore service by approximately 7:00 a.m. Monday, though timing may vary depending on the scope of the repair.

We understand that road closures and water shut offs have real impacts on our communities. We’re providing this notice as early as possible to give affected residents, property owners, and businesses time to prepare for a potential interruptions. The exact timing and need for the shutoff, as well as any additional road closures, will depend on the results of Friday’s investigation.

SPRWS will provide additional information as it becomes available and will communicate directly with affected property owners and businesses.

We appreciate your patience as our crews work quickly and safely to identify and resolve this issue — timely action helps limit further damage and keeps our crews and the surrounding community safe.

If you have any additional questions, please contact Distribution Division Manager Graeme Chaple at Graeme.chaple@ci.stpaul.mn.us or 651-775-3030.

Click here for printable copy of this letter

West 7th Sewer Tunnel Work

  • Sewer tunnel work is happening on West 7th Street in the turn lane on the south side just west of Kellogg Boulevard and at Chestnut Street.
  • Construction will occur Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Weekend work or evening hours may be approved if needed.

Traffic impacts and Business Access

  • West 7th Street will remain open with one lane in each direction and traffic changes during the city’s sewer work. 
  • No parking will be in place in the construction area. 
  • Sidewalks along West 7th Street will remain open. 
  • Walnut Street and Chestnut Street intersections at West 7th Street will have traffic changes, lane restrictions, and may be closed at times during the sewer tunnel work. 
  • Please follow all posted signs.
  • Access to businesses and parking lots will be maintained. See included maps for business access.

All construction activities and traffic impacts are weather and schedule permitting and subject to change.

Map 1 - West 7th Street from Chestnut Street to Kellogg Boulevard

Printable Map 1

Map showing sewer construction area on West 7th from Walnut to Kellogg

Additional Weekend Closure Sept. 11-14: East 7th Street

MnDOT construction work will close East 7th Street in both directions between Payne Avenue and Lafayette Street through the weekend from 7 p.m. Fri, Sept. 11 through 5 a.m. Mon, Sept. 14  

  • The ramp from northbound Highway 52 to East 7th Street will be closed.  

Area closures and restrictions in Downtown Saint Paul for Week of September 14:

  • 5th Street: Lane restrictions between Wabasha and Cedar streets for Wabasha Park (formerly Osborn Plaza). 
  • West 7th Street: Lane restrictions between Walnut Street and Kellogg Boulevard on West 7th for sewer work. 
  • East 7th Street:  
    • Lanes restrictions between Cedar and Minnesota streets and between Robert and Jackson streets September 14-18 for utility work. 
    • Lane restrictions between I-94 and Minnehaha Avenue on East 7th for MnDOT work. One lane in each direction.
    • September 11-14, weekend closures of East 7th Street. See text at start of email. For more information, visit MnDOT’s East 7th St. and Arcade St. project webpage 
  • 8th Street: Closed between Temperance and Sibley for roofing work starting September 8. 
  • 9th Street: Eastbound closure between Temperance and Sibley. 
  • Chestnut Street: Closed at West 7th Street for sewer work. 
  • Eagle Parkway:  
    • Eagle Parkway from Shepard Road to Chestnut Street has one lane in each direction for Xcel Energy electric work. 
    • Access to northbound Eagle Parkway will only be from eastbound Shepard Road.
    • Southbound vehicles on Eagle Parkway will be able to go both east and westbound on Shepard Road. 
  • Jackson Street:  
    • August 29-30, Jackson Street between 7th Street and 7th Place will be closed to all traffic.
    • Jackson Street between Kellogg Boulevard and Shepard Road is open with one lane southbound to eastbound Shepard Road. For more information, visit the city’s Lowertown Floodwall webpage. 
  • John Ireland Bridge: Closed for MnDOT reconstruction. 
  • Kellogg Boulevard:  
    • Westbound lanes closed between West 7th Street and Wabasha Street. Eastbound open with two lanes between West 7th Street and Wabasha Street. For more information about the CCB Kellogg Phase 2 project, visit stpaul.gov/ccbkellogg2. 
    • Kellogg Boulevard/3rd Street bridge remains closed through 2027. Kellogg Boulevard remains closed between Lafayette Street and Mounds Boulevard. For more information about the Kellogg/3rd Street Bridge project, visit: stpaul.gov/Kellogg-3. 
  • Lafayette Road: Road closed to all thru traffic at University Avenue. 
  • Robert Street: Lane restrictions between 5th and 6th streets for window washing September 8. 
  • Shepard Road:
    • Westbound Shepard closed between Eagle Parkway and Sibley Street.
    • Shepard Road closed to thru traffic at I-35E for MnDOT bridge reconstruction.
    • Eastbound will remain open from I-35E to Highway 61.
    • Eastbound Shepard traffic can access downtown from Eagle Parkway and Sibley Street (no trucks due to bridge height).
    • Westbound Shepard traffic can access downtown from Sibley Street, except no trucks due to bridge height. 
    • On August 23, the West 7th Street ramp will close again, and the Shepard Road ramp to southbound I-35E will reopen.
    • The West 7th Street ramp will remain closed through this fall. 
    • For more information, visit MnDOT's I-35E and Shepard Road webpage. 
  • Temperance Street: Lane restrictions between 7th and 9th streets for roofing work. 
  • University Avenue:  
  • Wacouta Street: Lane restrictions between 6th and 7th streets for Xcel Energy work. Southbound traffic only. 
  • Washington Street: Road closed between 6th and 5th Streets. 

NOTE: All construction activities and traffic impacts are weather and schedule permitting and subject to change. 

For Saint Paul Public Works projects and links to other agencies and their projects, visit www.stpaul.gov/Construction. 

For current and upcoming road closures in Saint Paul, visit www.stpaul.gov/RoadClosures. 

There will be some short-term lane restrictions due to window washing and roofing on private buildings. 

Downtown Construction & Access Map for Monday, September 14, 2026 

Downtown Construction Map for September 11, 2026

Sewer Tunnel Shaft Construction Photos

Photos showing construction work to drill the sewer shafts as part of the West 7th Sewer Tunnel work in July 2026.

Project Updates