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Behind the Scenes of 52nd Avenue
Ariel view of 52 nd Avenue as crews began the process of building the bridge over Drain 21.
Photo courtesy of KPH
Behind the Scenes of 52 nd Avenue
Communications Plays a Crucial Role in Construction
In Fargo, we have two seasons – winter and construction. You laugh because it’s true, but have you ever stopped to think about what it takes to build a road? Years of planning, a lot of communication, and engineering with a dose of patience leads to the creation of a smooth road we all love driving on but take for granted.
With a variety of major road construction projects happening at once in the Fargo metro, the loaded question everyone is asking is ‘why work on both Fargo’s 52 nd Avenue South and West Fargo’s Sheyenne Street at the same time?’ It all about the money.
When federal and local funds are available, it’s time to proceed. “Everyone is ready to go, so you keep forging ahead. Then you have meetings to coordinate the projects,” said Kevin Gorder, Division Engineer, City of Fargo.
Gorder said they are in constant communication with the contractors who are working on the Sheyenne Street project. One of the biggest concerns for having the two major projects at the same time was making sure neither one wasn’t blocking the detour route each project had mapped out.
Crews work together to pour concrete for the Westbound bridge.
Photo courtesy of FargoStreets
By improving 52 nd Avenue south, the Cass County Electric Cooperative overhead powerlines were in the way of the new road. So, our employees are working closely with Gorder and Odegaard to reroute and bury our lines.
It can be challenging for both the residents and construction workers. “You have to give the citizens attention, recognition, and respect when you’re out there [in the field]. When you’re dealing with someone’s front yard, it’s extremely important. It’s where they live,” Odegaard said. “You’ll know everyone’s first name, when they have graduations, and when they have to pull their boat out.”
Thirty-four weeks is the average length of the construction season in North Dakota, which is a short window of time to complete a $20 million project – especially when certain phases are completely weather dependent.
You may drive past the construction area, and the project looks complete, but the road must go through a series of tests to ensure it’s safe for the public. “It’s like baking a cake, you can’t just eat it when you have the batter mixed up,” Gorder said with a smile. “You have to wait for it to finish.”
New RCUT Intersection
One of the major goals with the project on 52 nd Avenue South is to improve safety. To improve traffic accident rates, 52 nd Avenue South will be the first Restricted Crossing U-turn (RCUT) style intersection in Fargo. The idea of a new style of intersection sounds intimidating and, “it’s going to be a learning curve, but once people do it a couple of times, they will be used to it,” said Aaron Edgar, project engineer, City of Fargo.
Keep an eye on Fargo Streets Facebook and Twitter pages for more updates on how to use the RCUT intersection properly.
