Work will begin next week on road and infrastructure improvements on the southwest side of Perham.
Construction crews will start removing the pavement, curb and select trees in the affected neighborhood on Monday, according to City Engineer Jade Berube. Berube gave a brief update of the project at last week’s city council meeting.
Removals will take about a week, and then after that (after Labor Day) the underground improvements will start, he reported. Those should take about three weeks to complete, with the aggregate, concrete, pavement and cleanup to follow. The entire project is expected to be wrapped up by October.
The $875,500 project was given the final ‘go’ by city councilors following a public hearing in June. It includes water infrastructure reconstruction, sidewalk improvements, and service and storm sewer upgrades to five blocks along 3rd Ave. SW (between 2nd and 7th Streets), and one block along 6th St. SW (between 3rd and 4th Avenues).
The construction work will affect travel along 3rd Ave., with the road closed from St. Henry’s School to Calvary Lutheran Church. The affected portion of 6th St. will also be closed. Signs will be posted.
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Berube said people who live on the side streets will be able to get in and out of their properties without too much trouble. Some residents who live right in the affected area will only have vehicle access at certain points in the day and may be inconvenienced while construction is going on.
But, he added, “it has to be done by October, so it should be a quick project.”
A second phase of this infrastructure improvement project – improvements to the downtown area – won’t begin until the bulk of the work in the southwest neighborhood is done.
