Minneapolis - Aldrich Avenue N. from 12th to 18th Avenues N. - Project Updates

This spring and summer, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the project’s small-diameter natural gas plastic main, connected the service lines to the new main, and moved inside meters outside.

Until approximately Friday, August 26, another Michels Corporation crew will have replaced the project’s large-diameter natural gas steel main. From Friday, August 12 to approximately Friday, August 19, the crew plans to close Plymouth Avenue N. from Lyndale to Bryant Avenues N.

Currently, the crew is working north of Plymouth Avenue N. on Aldrich Avenue N. In the week of August 8 before the closure on August 12, the crew will work south of Plymouth Avenue N. on Aldrich Avenue N.

In the week of August 15 and/or August 22, the crew plans to connect the new main to the existing intersecting mains at 12th and 18th Avenues N. along Aldrich Avenue N. and at the intersection of Dupont Avenue N. and 16th Avenue N. For approximately four or five business days, these intersections will be closed at the same time. By approximately Friday, August 26, the crew plans to open these roads for traffic.

Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, is restoring the sidewalks affected by the plastic main, service line, and meter work. They are working in conjunction with the City of Minneapolis’s project. After the natural gas work finishes in the last week of August, Q3 Contracting will continue to permanently restore the areas affected by the steel main replacement, including the intersections.

CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors are progressing in the project.

From the week of June 14 into August 2022, a crew from Michels Corporation will replace a large-diameter natural gas steel main along Aldrich Avenue N. from 18th Avenue N. to the cul-de-sac south of 12th Avenue N. and along 16th Avenue N. from Dupont to Aldrich Avenues N. Q3 Contracting will follow Michels Corporation to restore the areas affected by their work and reopen the road.

From Tuesday, June 14 to approximately Friday, June 24, Michels Corporation will replace the main on 16th Avenue N. from Bryant to Emerson Avenues N. During this time, 16th Avenue N. will be closed to through traffic. Detour signs will redirect through traffic. The crews will be on site to assist local access.

In the next following weeks, the crew will replace the main in or near the intersections along Aldrich Avenue N. at 12th, 16th, and 18th Avenues N. at alternating times, rather than all at once. Crews will assist businesses and residents with local access. Flaggers may be on site helping direct traffic. Sidewalk closures will alternate so that one side will remain open during the project.

A crew from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, finished replacing a portion of the project’s natural gas work. They replaced the small-diameter natural gas plastic mains, connected the service lines to these new mains, and moved inside meters outside.

From June into August, another crew will replace the large-diameter natural gas steel main. Because the crews need to trench the road to weld pieces of the main together, the crews will close the roads a few blocks at a time for a few weeks at a time.

The areas that will not be disturbed by the steel main replacement will be restored soon. Final restoration will occur after the steel main is replaced.

A crew from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, has been working on the east side of Aldrich Avenue N. between 18th Avenue N. and the cul-de-sac south of 12th Avenue N. They have been replacing the first of the project’s two natural gas mains, connecting the service lines to the new main, moving inside meters outside, and connecting the new main to the existing intersecting mains. During this time, parking has been restricted on the east side of Aldrich Avenue N., and traffic has remained open.

In the week of May 2, they plan to focus on the gas work on Aldrich Avenue N. between 14th and 16th Avenues N.

In the middle of June, another crew will begin replacing the project’s second main, which is large-diameter steel. More information will be provided closer to that portion of the project’s work.

In the middle of the week of April 18, a crew from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, plans to have replaced the first of the project’s two natural gas mains. This will be on Aldrich Avenue N. from 14th Avenue N. to the cul-de-sac south of 12th Avenue N. They will continue working north from 14th Avenue N.

For approximately two months beginning on Monday, April 4, two crews from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will replace the project’s first natural gas main, which is small-diameter plastic, and connect the service lines to this main. Their route will begin at the cul-de-sac south of 12th Avenue N., working north toward 18th Avenue N. After that, they will replace the main on 16th Avenue N. from Aldrich to Dupont Avenues N. and then on Bryant Avenue N. from 18th Avenue N. to West Broadway Avenue.

During this time, the roads will be open to traffic. Flaggers will be on site helping direct traffic. Parking will be restricted on the east side of Aldrich Avenue N.

In June, another Q3 Contracting crew will begin replacing the project’s second natural gas main, which is large-diameter steel. More information will be provided about this work closer to its start date.

From April to late summer 2022, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Minneapolis along the following streets: Bryant Avenue N. from West Broadway Avenue to 18th Avenue N.; 18th Avenue N. from Bryant to Aldrich Avenues N.; 16th Avenue N. from Aldrich to Dupont Avenues N.; and Aldrich Avenue N. from 18th Avenue N. to the cul-de-sac south of 12th Avenue N.

Q3 Contracting will replace the natural gas mains, connect the natural gas service lines to the new mains, move any inside meters outside, and restore the areas affected by their work.

From April to June, the crews will replace a small-diameter plastic main, connect service lines to this new main, and move any inside residential meters outside. During this time, lane and parking restrictions will occur. Flaggers may be on site.

From June to August (pending the crews’ progress), the crews will replace a large-diameter steel main. Because the crews need to trench the road to weld pieces of the main together, the crews will close the roads a few blocks at a time for a few weeks at a time.

The crews will restore the areas affected by their work.

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 Q3 Contracting crews will perform the work. The crews will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo IDs stating that they are employees of Q3 Contracting.

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.