9/8/2021

CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors are making progress. Crews from Michels Corporation activated the new natural gas steel main. This week of September 6, they are installing a regulator station at the intersection of 34th Street E. and 17th Avenue S.


Crews from Q3 Contracting fully restored and reopened the 3500, 3400, 3200, and 3100 blocks of 17th Avenue S. They will restore and reopen the 3700, 3600, 3300, and 3000 blocks this month.


We appreciate your patience as we upgrade our natural gas lines.

9/2/2021

In the week of September 23, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the project’s natural gas steel main. They started removing the existing steel main along 17th Avenue S. from 37th to 36th Streets E.


This week of August 30, they are connecting the new steel main to the existing intersecting mains at 38th Street E. and Lake Street E. They will activate the new natural gas main. In addition to the main replacement, the crews are installing a regulator station at 34th Street E. The installation began this week.


Currently, 17th Avenue S. is closed to through traffic between 34th Street E. and Lake Street, including the intersections of 31st, 32nd, and 33rd Streets E. The City of Minneapolis is restoring the asphalt roadway. When the pavement has cured this week, the crews plan to reopen 17th Avenue S. from 31st to 33rd Streets E.

8/23/2021

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the natural gas steel main along 17th Avenue S. to the north end of 31st Street E. Currently, 17th Avenue S. is closed to through traffic between 34th Street E. and Lake Street E. and between 36th and 37th Streets E. The intersections from 31st to 35th Streets E. are closed to east and west traffic.


This week, the crew plans to finish replacing the main toward the south side of Lake Street E. and on the 3600 block of 17th Avenue S. They will test the pipe at two locations. The first will be between 38th and 36th Streets E. The second will be between 31st Street E. and Lake Street E.


In the week of August 30, the crew plans to finish the main replacement. Further natural gas work will include installing a regulator station at 34th Street E.

8/11/2021

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the natural gas steel main on 17th Avenue S. from 34th to 33rd Streets E. and at the intersection of 33rd Street E. This week, they are continuing the replacement from 33rd to 31st Streets E. and in the intersection of 32nd Street E. Below are the details regarding the project’s intersections and route:


This is the status of our open/closed intersections: E 38th St – fully open; E 37th St – fully open, temp pavement, to be closed pending restoration schedule for permanent pavement; E 36th St – fully open, temp pavement, poured concrete roundabout, to be closed pending restoration schedule for permanent pavement; E 35th St – closed, pending restoration E 34th St – closed, pending restoration. *note: will need to get back in for regulator station work end of August; E 33rd St – closed, active construction; E 32d St – plan to close intersection Thursday, 8/12; E 31st St – plan to close intersection Wednesday, 8/18; E Lake St – fully open.


This is the status along 17 Ave S between intersections: E 38th St to E 37th St – fully open, permanently restored. *note: will need to get back in early September for final tie-in; E 37th St to E 36th St – closed, restoration prepped but not completed. *note: will need to get back in for missing segment of 20” steel towards end of August; E 36th St to E 35th St – closed, restoration prepped but not completed; E 35th St to E 34th St – closed, pending restoration. *note: will need to get back in for regulator station work end of August; E 34th St to E 33rd St – closed, pending restoration, active construction *note: will need to get back in for regulator station work end of August; E 33rd St to E 32nd St – closed, active construction; E 32nd St to E 31st St – open. Plan to close 8/12 for construction; E 31st St to E Lake St – open. Plan to close 8/18 for construction.

8/3/2021

The crews have replaced the natural gas main up to the south edge of 34th Street E. This week, they plan to continue replacing the main to the north, crossing the intersection of 34th Street E. and potentially the intersection of 33rd Street E. They have closed 17th Avenue S. between 37th and 33rd Streets E.


Currently, 17th Avenue S. is restored and opened between 38th and 37th Streets E. The cross streets of 37th and 36th Streets E. is open to traffic heading east and west. The intersection of 35th Street E. is temporarily paved and is anticipated to be opened this week.

7/28/2021

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the natural gas steel main along 17th Avenue S. between 37th Street E. to just south of 35th Street E. and in the intersection of 36th Street E. This week, the crews are replacing the main to the north, crossing the intersection of 35th Street E. and potentially the intersection of 34th Street E.


Currently, 17th Avenue S. is open to traffic between 38th and 37th Streets E., including the intersection of 37th Street E. This week, the crews are opening the 3600 block of 17th Avenue S. and the intersection of 36th Street E. They are closing 17th Avenue S. between 34th and 35th Streets E., including the intersection of 35th Street E.

7/20/2021

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the natural gas steel main along 17th Avenue S. between 38th and 37th Streets E. Currently, 17th Avenue S. is closed to through traffic between 38th and 36th Streets E.


They will close the intersection of 36th Street E. and the 3600 block of 17th Avenue S. between 35th and 36th Streets E. In the week of July 19, they plan to cross the intersection of 36th Street E. and to replace the main just south of the intersection of 35th Street E.


Crews from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will follow to restore and reopen 17th Avenue S. between 38th and 37th Streets E.

7/12/2021

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, are currently replacing the natural gas steel main on 17th Avenue S. between 38th and 36th Streets E. They have closed 17th Avenue S. for approximately the next two weeks. Currently the intersection 37th Street E. is open for through traffic. Pedestrian traffic is still being maintained.


In the week of July 19, the crews will close the intersection of 37th Street E. while the crews replace the steel main. As the crews cross to the north side of each intersection, they plan to have the asphalt roadway restored and open to homeowners and traffic.

6/30/2021

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced all the project’s natural gas service lines to the first main, which was the small-diameter plastic main. The crews are starting to replace the project’s second main, which is large-diameter steel. They will begin at 38th Street E. and 17th Avenue S., working north, and at Lake Street E., working south. For a few weeks, the crews will close 17th Avenue S. to through traffic from 38th to 37th Streets E. and from Lake Street E. to 31st Street E.


Intersections will be closed one at a time, based on work area requirements. Residents will have access. Steel plates will be used as needed for driveway crossings. Since the crews weld the pieces of the pipe together, the steel main replacement requires open excavation and takes longer to install than the small-diameter plastic main. Time spent on each block will vary due to the size of the block, the steel offsets, the restoration preparation, and the weather.

6/17/2021

What is the crews’ progress?

By Friday, June 25, crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will finish connecting the natural gas service lines to the new mains.


In July, Michels Corporation will begin replacing the project’s second natural gas main. The purpose of this letter is to describe the project’s second natural gas main replacement. While the first natural gas main was small-diameter plastic that was bored underground, the second main is large-diameter steel. Since the crews weld the pieces of the pipe together, the steel main replacement requires open excavation and takes longer to install than the small-diameter plastic main. Time spent on each block will vary due to the size of the block, the steel offsets, the restoration preparation, and the weather.


Toward the end of the project, the crews will return to some intersections to connect the new main to the existing intersecting mains. More details will be provided closer to this portion of the project’s dates.


What will the traffic impacts be?

The crews will begin replacing the second main at [], working for approx. two or three blocks at a time. Using a similar traffic plan to what was used for the first natural gas main, the crews will close 17th Ave. S. to through traffic, maintaining local access and detouring through traffic to the next block or two over. Steel plates will be used for driveway access. One sidewalk will remain open at a time.

5/19/2021

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, have connected the project’s natural gas service lines to the new main on 17th Avenue S. between 34th and 35th Streets E. They are currently connecting the service lines between 34th and 32nd Streets E.

4/30/2021

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will finish replacing the project’s first natural gas main early in the week of May 3. The crews are currently connecting the natural gas service lines to the new main. They are working north of 37th Street E., heading north. In the week of May 3, they anticipate finishing the service line connections from 38th to 36th Streets E. After that, they will work from 35th to 34th Streets E. In areas where the crews are working, 17th Avenue S. will continue to be closed to through traffic with one sidewalk open.

4/22/2021

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, have replaced the first of the project’s two natural gas mains on 17th Avenue S. from 38th to 32nd Streets E. On April 22 and 23, the crews are replacing the first of the project’s two natural gas mains on 17th Avenue S. between 32nd and 34th Streets E. On Monday, April 26, the crews will replace the first main between Lake Street E. and 32nd Street E. After that, they will return to a few intersections to connect the new natural gas main to the existing intersecting mains.


The replacement of the first natural gas main is expected to be complete by Wednesday, April 28.


In areas of active construction, the crews are closing 17th Avenue S. to through traffic. One sidewalk will remain open at a time. While 31st Street E. will remain open to traffic, 32nd Street E. will be closed to through traffic. Detour signs will lead through traffic to Cedar Avenue, 33rd Street E., Bloomington Avenue and Lake Street E.

Traffic Impacts

The crews will begin at 38th St. E., working north. To replace the first main under the east sidewalk, the crews will close two blocks at a time to through traffic. Parking will be restricted on both sides of 17th Ave. S. within any closures. The west sidewalk will remain open during this time. The crews will be on site to help residents with access.


As the first main is being replaced, the crews will put temporary restoration on any excavated areas and reopen the closures. Later in the project’s timeline, these blocks will be reclosed to accommodate the service line work and the second main replacement.


In the areas of active construction, most of the cross streets heading east or west will remain open. Any intersections or blocks that will be closed will have detour routes directing drivers to Bloomington Ave. or Cedar Ave. These closures are necessary to keep the crews and the public safe.

Project Description

From April 12 to late summer 2021, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Minneapolis along 17th Ave. S. from 38th St. E. to Lake St. E. While Michels Corporation will replace two natural gas mains, connect the natural gas service lines to the first main, and move any inside residential meters outside, Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work at no cost to the customer.