Minneapolis - Powderhorn Park - Project Updates

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, finished replacing the project’s natural gas steel main. The new steel main is now in service on Elliot Avenue S. from 31st to 37th Streets E. and on 33rd Street E. from Elliot to Columbus Avenues S.

Q3 Contracting is paving these areas this week. In the week of October 25, the City of Minneapolis will pave Elliot Avenue S. from 36th to 37th Streets E. and 33rd Street E. from Chicago to Columbus Avenues S. The sidewalk and boulevard restoration will follow. We appreciate your patience as we upgraded our natural gas lines.

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, have been connecting the service lines to the new mains and have been moving any inside meters outside. They anticipate finishing this portion of the project’s natural gas work in the week of October 4 or 11. Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will follow to restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work.

This week, the following traffic impacts will happen: A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, has closed Elliot Avenue S. between 34th and 37th Streets E. to replace the natural gas steel main. While the cross streets of 35th and 37th Streets E. will remain open, the cross street of 36th Street E. will be closed.

On Wednesday, September 29 and Thursday, September 30, the crew will finish replacing the main at 36th Street E. and will move to 33rd Street E. They will replace the main and close 33rd Street E. from Elliot Avenue to the middle of the block between Chicago and Columbus Avenues. This closure will last into the week of October 4. During this time, two-way traffic will be maintained on Chicago Avenue with a lane shift.

The crews anticipate finishing the steel main replacement in the week of October 11. Early in the week of October 11, Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will pave the blacktop on Elliot Avenue S. between 33rd and 37th Streets E. and on 33rd Street E.

This week, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, is connecting the natural gas service lines to the new main on 12th Avenue S. between 35th and 36th Streets E. Beginning in the week of September 13 and lasting for the remaining weeks in September, that crew plans to connect the service lines to the mains on 10th Avenue S. from 33rd to 33rd ½ Streets E. and from 34th to 35th Streets E. While the crews are working on each block, parking will be restricted. Local access will be maintained. We appreciate your patience as we continue to upgrade our natural gas lines.

CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors are progressing. On September 9, crews from Q3 Contracting will pave the blacktop on Elliot Avenue S. from 33rd ½ to 31st Streets E. This paving was delayed due to the rain.

In the week of September 6, the crews from Michels Corporation are replacing the main on 34th Street E. between Elliot Avenue S. and 10th Avenue S. and on Elliot Avenue S. between 36th and 37th Streets E. While traffic should not be affected on 34th Street E., the crews have closed Elliot Avenue S. from 36th to 37th Streets E. No parking signs are currently on Elliot Avenue S. from 34th to 36th Streets E. while crews from Q3 Contracting are replacing the concrete sidewalks.

Beginning in the week of September 13 and lasting for approximately three weeks, the crews from Michels Corporation will replace the natural gas steel main on Elliot Avenue S. at 34th Street W., working south to 36th Street E. During this time, Elliot Avenue S. will be closed to through traffic, but 35th and 36th Streets E. will remain open until the crews replace the main across 35th Street E. Detour signs will direct drivers to the next block over.

After the main is replaced on these blocks, the crews will finish the steel main replacement on 33rd Street E. between Elliot and Chicago Avenues S. There will be lane shifts happening during this time. More details will be posted closer to this portion of the project.

Crews from Michels Corporation are connecting the service lines to the new mains. One crew is working on 14th and 15th Avenues S. Another crew is working on 11th Avenue S. between 35th and 36th Streets E. By the end of this week, that crew will move to 10th Avenue S. between 35th and 36th Streets E.

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, is continuing to replace the natural gas steel main. Currently Elliot Avenue S. is closed between 33rd ½ and 31st Streets E. The cross streets are open.

From Tuesday, August 24 to approximately Thursday, August 26, the crews will close 32nd Street E. to through traffic while they replace the main and restore the intersection back for traffic.

On Tuesday, August 31, crews from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, plan to pave Elliot Avenue S. from 33rd ½ to 31st Streets E. In that week, the crews plan to open this area back to through traffic. They will also restore the sidewalks in this area. In the first few weeks of September, the crews will restore the yards and boulevards affected by Michels Corporation’s work.

In the week of August 30, Michels Corporation will replace the main on Elliot Avenue S. in the northern half of the 3600 block. During this time, the northern half will be closed to through traffic. Parking will be restricted within the northern half. Local access will be maintained. Detour signs will lead through traffic to 10th Avenue S. The cross streets of 36th and 37th Streets E. will remain open.

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. For photo examples, please visit our Restoration Practices page.

Beginning this Monday, August 9 and lasting until Friday, August 27, crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will close Elliot Avenue S. between 31st and 33rd ½ Streets E. and 33rd Street E. from Elliot Avenue S. to just west of Chicago Avenue S. During this time, these streets will be closed to through traffic. Local access will be maintained. Two-way traffic will be maintained and shifted going north and south on Chicago Avenue S. at 33rd Street E. Pedestrian traffic will be detoured to one side of the street. On Chicago Avenue S., the bike lane may be integrated with vehicular traffic.

These closures will accommodate the replacement of the natural gas steel main and the restoration of the road. We appreciate your patience as we’re upgrading our natural gas lines.

The crews will start on Elliot Avenue S. at 31st and 34th Streets E. and at Chicago Avenue S. and 33rd Street E. to put the existing natural gas main out of service. Then they will begin replacing the steel main on Elliot Avenue S. at 33rd ½, working north.

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, are currently connecting the natural gas service lines to the new mains on Elliot Avenue S. between 32nd and 36th Streets E. and on 14th Avenue S., working south from 31st Street E.

On Monday, August 9, the crews will begin replacing the natural gas steel main on Elliot Avenue S. In July, the crews replaced the first main on Elliot Avenue S., which was small-diameter plastic bored underground. The second main 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.

CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, Michels Corporation, plan to finish replacing the project’s natural gas plastic mains this week. They are currently connecting the new mains to the existing intersecting mains. They are continuing to connect the service lines to the new mains.

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, are replacing the main on 35th Street E. heading east toward Bloomington Avenue S. In the week of July 19, they will begin on Bloomington Avenue S. and then move to 15th and 14th Avenues S. They anticipate finishing the replacements of the project’s natural gas plastic mains by July 28.

In the week of July 19, the crews will begin connecting the service lines to the new plastic mains, starting on Elliot Avenue S. and Lake Street E., working south on Elliot Avenue S.

More details will be provided closer to when the crews will replace the large-diameter steel main on Elliot Avenue S. between 31st and 37th Streets E.

Crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, have replaced the natural gas main on Elliot Avenue S. from Lake Street E. to 33rd ½ Street E. In the weeks of July 5 and 12, the crews have been and will continue to replace the main on Elliot Avenue S. from 34th to 37th Streets E. Crews from Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work north of 34th Street E. that will be unaffected by the service line replacements or connections.

Today on Thursday, June 24, crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, began replacing the project’s natural gas mains. For approximately one and a half weeks, they will replace the main on the east sidewalk of Elliot Avenue S., working south from Lake Street E. to 32nd Street E. No parking signs will be placed on both sides of Elliot Avenue S. Next, they will replace the main on the east sidewalk of Elliot Avenue S. from 32nd to 33rd ½ Streets E. for approximately one week. The area will be closed to through traffic.

Beginning in late June and lasting into fall 2021, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Minneapolis. Michels Corporation will replace natural gas mains, connect the natural gas service lines to the new mains, and move any inside residential meters outside. Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work outside the limit of the City of Minneapolis’s Phillips South, Powderhorn & 35th St. E. Resurfacing. During this time, lane or parking closures may occur along the following streets:

Elliot Ave. S. between Lake St. E. and 37th St. E.; 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th Avenues S. between Lake St. E. and 36th St. E.; 14th Ave. S. between 31st St. E. and 36th St. E.; 33rd St. E. between Chicago Ave. S. and 15th Ave. S.; 33rd ½ St. E. between Elliot Ave. S. and 10th Ave. S.; 34th St. E. between Elliot Ave. S. and 10th Ave. S.; and 35th St. E. between Elliot Ave. S. and Bloomington Ave. S.

The exceptions will be the following: The crews will replace two natural gas mains on Elliot Ave. S. Full closures will happen on Elliot Ave. S. from 31st to 37th Streets E. for a few blocks at a time. They will also close the 3000 block of 13th Ave. S.

The first main will be small-diameter plastic. This is typically bored underground. The second main 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.

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 he 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.