Minneapolis - 27th Street from Emerson to 3rd Avenues S. - Project Updates

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, plans to finish replacing the large-diameter natural gas steel main by Monday, August 22. Until then, they will have connected the new main to the existing intersecting mains along 27th Street at Emerson, Nicollet, and 3rd Avenues. They will also have installed an underground vault by Monday, August 15 at 3rd Avenue S.

Street restoration has been complete from Emerson to 1st Avenues S. The final areas for street restoration are expected to finish by approximately Wednesday, August 31.

We want to thank you for your patience as we upgraded our natural gas line.

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the large-diameter natural gas steel main on 27th Street W. from Blaisdell to Harriet Avenues S. This area is planned to be paved and opened by Wednesday, July 27.

From Thursday, July 14 to Friday, August 5, 27th Street W. will be closed from Colfax to Emerson Avenues S. During this time, the main will be replaced and the road will be paved.

On Wednesday, July 20, the crew will close 27th Street W. from Blaisdell Avenue to 1st Avenue, keeping the intersection of Nicollet Avenue open until Friday, July 22. From Friday, July 22 to Friday, July 29, the crew will close the intersection of Nicollet Avenue. Detour signs will lead through traffic west on 24th Street, south on Lyndale Avenue, east on 28th Street, and north on 1st Avenue.

On Monday, August 1, the crew will close 27th Street E. from 1st Avenue to Stevens Avenue. While the crew crosses 1st Avenue, they plan to maintain two-way traffic with at least one lane closure. When the crew has replaced the main up to Stevens Avenue, the next closure will happen from Stevens Avenue to 3rd Avenue.

CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors, Michels Corporation and Q3 Contracting, are progressing on the project. While Michels Corporation is replacing the large-diameter natural gas steel main, Q3 Contracting is restoring the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work. Below is the anticipated schedule for the month of July:

Michels Corporation replaced the large-diameter natural gas steel main along 27th Street from Lyndale to Colfax Avenues S. The asphalt paving is scheduled for Wednesday, June 29 or Thursday, June 30, to be open by Friday, July 1.

From this week to Tuesday, July 5, the crew will replace the steel main from Pleasant Avenue to west of the center of Blaisdell Avenue.

From Wednesday, June 29 to mid-July, the crew will close 27th Street from Harriet to Pleasant Avenues.

From Tuesday, July 5 into mid-July, the crew will close 27th Street from Blaisdell to Nicollet Avenues.

From mid-July to late July or early August, the crew will close 27th Street from Colfax to Emerson Avenues.

In late July or early August, the crew will finish replacing the steel main across Nicollet Avenue. The intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 27th Street will be closed for approximately 7 to 10 days.

The crew will then continue working east toward 3rd Avenue S. After the crew replaces the steel main from Emerson to 3rd Avenues S., the crew will work on the natural gas vault at 27th Street and 3rd Avenue S. This intersection will be closed for approximately 1 to 1 ½ weeks.

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

Below is a list of the anticipated dates that Michels Corporation and Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors, plan to respectively replace the natural gas steel main and restore the affected areas. In areas where the crews are working, 27th Street will be closed to through traffic. Unless otherwise noted, the cross streets will remain open:

• The crew replaced the main in the northbound lanes of Lyndale Avenue at 27th Street. This area is restored and reopened for traffic.
  

• By Saturday, June 11, the crew will open 27th Street from Lyndale to Harriet Avenues.
  

• By Wednesday, June 15 or Thursday, June 16, the crew will open the southbound lanes of Lyndale Avenue.
  

• By Saturday, June 18, the crew plans to finish replacing the main from Lyndale to Colfax Avenues. (This is a correction from a former note, which stated that the work would happen from Lyndale to Bryant Avenues.) In the following week, this will be paved and reopened to traffic.
  

• For approximately two weeks beginning on Monday, June 20, the crew will close the intersection of Blaisdell Avenue and 27th Street.
  

• From Monday, June 20 to Saturday, June 25, the crew plans to replace the main from Pillsbury Avenue to the alley between Blaisdell and Nicollet Avenues. From Monday, June 27 to Friday, July 1, Q3 Contracting plans to restore and reopen back for traffic.

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, connected the project’s natural gas service lines to the new mains.

From the week of May 16 into early fall, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Minneapolis along 27th Street between Emerson and 3rd Avenues S. While Michels Corporation will replace a large-diameter natural gas steel main, Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work. The City of Minneapolis will pave the blacktop, and Q3 Contracting will pour the concrete base. There will not be any assessment for constituents.

From Wednesday, May 18 to Wednesday, May 25, the crew will put an existing natural gas main out of service at Emerson, Nicollet, and 3rd Avenues S. along 27th Street. Lanes and portions of 27th Street will be closed to through traffic. Our web page will be updated regarding the traffic impacts.

For approximately one or two weeks after May 25, the crew will replace the main across Lyndale Avenue S. while maintaining four-way traffic. After this, the crew will replace the main from Emerson to Lyndale Avenues S., closing 27th Street to through traffic for approximately four to five weeks. This duration will include the open-trench method for welding the steel main together, and it will include paving the roads.

The crew will work with businesses and residents on maintaining access. We appreciate your patience as we upgrade our natural gas lines, ensuring system reliability for years to come.

In the fall of 2021, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, Michels Corporation, replaced the first of the project’s two natural gas mains on 27th and 28th Streets E. and on Aldrich, Garfield, Grand, Blaisdell, and 2nd Avenues S. It was small-diameter plastic that was bored underground. The crews connected most of the project’s service lines to the new main and moved the service lines’ respective inside residential meters outside. This spring, a crew has returned to finish the remaining service line connections and meter moves on Pleasant Avenues S. and on the rest of the project’s streets east of Pleasant Avenue S.

From the week of May 16 into late June 2022, Michels Corporation will replace the second main, which will be large-diameter steel, on 27th Street E. between Emerson and 3rd Avenues S. 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.

Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by this work. During the replacement of the second main, a few blocks may be closed at a time. As the crews will cross intersections, they will keep traffic open while closing at least one lane. Local access will be maintained. Steel plates will be used as needed for driveway crossings.

In the fall of 2021, Michels Corporation replaced the first of the project’s two natural gas mains. It was small-diameter plastic that was bored underground. The crews connected service lines to the new main and moved inside residential meters outside. This spring, a crew will return to finish the remaining service line connections and meter moves on Pleasant Avenues S. and the rest of the project’s streets east of Pleasant Avenue S.

From spring to summer 2022, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor will replace the second main, which will be 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.

Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by this work.

The traffic impacts will be updated on this page. During the replacement of the second main, one or more blocks may be closed at a time.

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, have finished the 2021 portion of the project’s natural gas work. The crews connected the service lines to the new mains along the following streets: Aldrich Avenue S. between 26th and 27th Streets W.; Garfield and Grand Avenues S. between 27th and 28th Streets W.; and 27th Street W. between Emerson and Pleasant Avenues S.

They connected most of the service lines to the new mains on Pleasant Avenue S. between 26th and 27th Streets W. The remaining service lines on Pleasant Avenues S. and the rest of the project’s streets east of Pleasant Avenue S. will be finished in 2022. In addition, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor (to be determined) will replace a large-diameter natural gas steel main along 27th Street between Emerson and 3rd Avenues S. More information will be provided closer to that portion of the project’s timeline.

A crew from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, is following to put down winter erosion control on the areas affected by construction. The hard surfaces will have temporary asphalt, including those that were previously concrete. In spring 2022, the crews will restore them to their original condition. On any excavations in boulevards and lawns, they will backfill with dirt and place netting over these areas. In spring 2022, they will return with black dirt and seed.

We wish you a safe holiday season!

A crew from Michels Corporation connected the natural gas service lines to the new mains on Aldrich Avenue S. from 26th to 27th Streets W. A crew from Q3 Contracting put down winter erosion control on these areas.

This week, several other Michels Corporation crews will begin connecting the service lines to the new mains. Currently, they are currently working on along Grand and Garfield Avenues S. from 27th to 28th Streets W.

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, connected the natural gas service lines to the new mains on Aldrich Avenue S. They are currently connecting the service lines to the new mains on Garfield Avenue S.

Work will be suspended from Thursday, November 25 to Sunday, November 28 for the holiday weekend.

A crew from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, is following to put down winter erosion control on the areas affected by construction. The hard surfaces will have temporary asphalt, including those that were previously concrete. In spring 2022, the crews will restore them to their original condition. On any excavations in boulevards and lawns, they will backfill with dirt and place netting over these areas. In spring 2022, they will return with black dirt and seed.

Tomorrow on Friday, November 19, a crew from Michels Corporation will finish replacing the project’s natural gas mains. The crews plan to open the closures on 28th Street and Blaisdell Avenue and on 27th Street and Nicollet Avenue either November 19 or Monday, November 22.

A crew from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will put down winter erosion control on the areas affected by construction. The hard surfaces will have temporary asphalt, including those that were previously concrete. In spring 2022, the crews will restore them to their original condition.

A crew from Michels Corporation is connecting the natural gas service lines to the new main on Aldrich Avenue S. between 26th and 27th Streets and on 27th Street between Aldrich and Garfield Avenues S. before moving to Garfield Avenue S. between 27th and 28th Streets. They are continuing to work east, following the main crew’s route.

A crew from Michels Corporation replaced the natural gas main on 27th Street at Nicollet Avenue. They are continuing to work east on 27th Street toward 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

In addition, they will replace the main at Blaisdell Avenue and 28th Street. On Thursday, November 18, the crew plans to close Blaisdell Avenue from 28th Street to the parking lot entrance to Hennepin Healthcare Whittier Clinic & Pharmacy and Hennepin County Family Medical Center. This closure is expected to last for a few days.

During this time, the bike lane on Blaisdell Avenue will remain open. Vehicular traffic will be detoured east on 28th Street, south on Nicollet Avenue, and west on 29th Street. The sidewalk in the southeastern corner of the intersection will be closed.

By the end of the week of November 15 or early in the week of November 22, they plan to finish replacing the project’s natural gas main.

In the week of November 8, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, plans to finish replacing the natural gas mains on 28th Street between Blaisdell and 1st Avenues S. Either that week or the following, 28th Street will be open in that area after the paving is done. The crews plan to restore and open 27th Street at Nicollet Avenue back to traffic late in the week of November 8.

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, is continuing to replace the project’s natural gas main. For approximately one or two weeks, the crews will keep a lane shift on 28th Street E. between Blaisdell and 1st Avenues S. and on Nicollet Avenue S. for approximately 180 feet north of 28th Street E. During this time, parking will be restricted in areas of the lane shifts.

Beginning on Monday, November 1 and lasting for approximately two or three weeks, the crews will close 27th Street from Nicollet Avenue to the alley between Nicollet and 1st Avenues S. Detour signs will lead drivers south on Nicollet Avenue, east on 28th Street, north on 1st Avenue S., and west on 26th Street. In the northeastern corner of the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 27th Street, a sidewalk closure will alternate to maintain business access. Parking will be restricted on the west side of Nicollet Avenue approximately 150 feet north and 150 feet south on 27th Street.

This two- to three-week closure allows Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, to restore the area and open it back to traffic. Any changes will be reflected on our website.

This week and early into the week of Oct 25, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, is replacing the natural gas main along the following streets: Grand Avenue S. between 27th and 28th Streets; Pleasant Avenue S. between 26th and 27th Streets; Blaisdell Avenue S. between 26th and 28th Streets; 27th Street heading east toward Nicollet Avenue S.; and 28th Street between Blaisdell and 1st Avenues S.

During this time, parking will be restricted on both sides of the roads where the crews are working. The crews will close a lane on 28th Street between Blaisdell and 1st Avenues S. The sidewalk on the north side of 28th Street will be closed, and the south sidewalk will remain open.

In the week of October 25, the crew plans to continue replacing the main on 28th Street between Blaisdell and 1st Avenues S. They will continue replacing the main on 27th Street east from Nicollet Avenue S.

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the natural gas main on Aldrich Avenue S. from 26th to 27th Streets E. and on 27th Street E. from Emerson to Bryant Avenues S. They have closed 27th Street just east of Lyndale Avenue S. until approximately Monday, October 11. During this time, the alley between Lyndale and Garfield Avenues S. will remain open. Detour signs will lead drivers south on Lyndale Avenue, east on 28th Street, north on Harriet Avenue, and west on 26th Street.

Beginning on Tuesday, October 12 and lasting for approximately one week, the crews will replace the gas main on Garfield and Grand Avenues S. from 27th to 28th Streets E. During this time, the crew will close the north side of 28th Street E. at Grand Avenue S. Detour signs will lead drivers west on 27th Street W., south on Garfield Avenue S., and east on 28th Street W.

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, began replacing the project’s natural gas mains. They started on 27th Street at Emerson Avenue S., working east. Currently, no parking signs are placed from Emerson to Bryant Avenues S. Beginning tomorrow on Wednesday, September 29, no parking signs will be extended from Bryant to Garfield Avenues S. Beginning on Thursday, September 30, they will post no parking signs on Aldrich Avenue S. from 27th to 26th Streets.

As the crews move east, they will remove the no parking signs.

From Monday, October 4 to approximately Friday, October 8 or Monday, October 11, the crews will close 27th Street just east of Lyndale Avenue S. During this time, the alley between Lyndale and Garfield Avenues S. will remain open. Detour signs will lead drivers south on Lyndale Avenue, east on 28th Street, north on Harriet Avenue, and west on 26th Street.

Beginning in the week of September 27 and lasting into late fall 2021 or spring 2022, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Minneapolis along the following streets: 27th Street between Emerson and 3rd Avenues S.; Aldrich and Pleasant Avenues S. from 27th to 26th Streets W.; Garfield, Grand, and 2nd Avenues S. from 27th to 28th Streets W.; Blaisdell Avenue S. from 26th to 28th Streets W.; and 28th Street W. from Blaisdell to 1st Avenues S.

While Michels Corporation will replace the natural gas main, connect the natural gas service lines to the new main, and move any inside residential meters outside, Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work.

For most of the project’s duration, parking and lane closures will occur where the crews are working. The crews will temporarily close the following streets at different times: 27th Street W. from Lyndale Avenue S. to the alley between Lyndale and Garfield Avenues S.; the northern half of the intersection of Grand Avenue S. and 28th Street W.; and 27th Street W. from Nicollet to the alley between Nicollet and 1st Avenues S.

The construction crews and personnel will continue to use the Covid-19 Customer Permission Flyer, which requests customer permission prior to entering homes. Personnel, contractors and CenterPoint Energy employees will continue to practice CDC guidelines regarding social distancing, sanitary practices and wearing face masks when entering customer homes.

The customer will receive a CenterPoint Energy postcard in the mail typically within one or two weeks prior to the day when the Michels Corporation crews will perform the work. The crews will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo IDs stating that they are employees of Michels Corporation.

After the customer receives the postcard, the foreman will arrive at the customer’s house to schedule an appointment that typically meets with the customer’s schedule. If the customer isn’t home when they arrives, he will leave a door tag with his contact information to schedule an appointment with him.

Customers are advised to set aside a two- to four-hour time frame for the inside-to-outside gas meter move. They are also advised to mark their privately-installed utilities such as dog fences or sprinklers. Marking can be accomplished with tools such as spray paint or utility flags. The foreman will access the natural gas meter inside the house, move the meter outside, and relight the natural gas appliance pilot lights after the new meter has been relocated.

Customers with outside meters will be notified prior to the replacement or connection of the service lines to the new mains. Areas affected by our work will be restored to their original condition.

On the soft surfaces such as boulevards and lawns, various erosion control measures keep the restored area moist, hold seed in the soil, and enhance seed germination. If an erosion blanket is needed it is secured in place with staples. The mesh is a wood fiber that will completely degrade. Prior to mowing the restored area, remove any loose staples that secured the blanket.