Minnetonka - Excelsior Boulevard from County Road 101 to Williston Road - Project Updates

The project on Excelsior Boulevard is complete. The mill and overlay work is done, and the road is open. We appreciate your patience as we upgraded our natural gas work.

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, replaced the project’s natural gas main. Another Michels Corporation crew is continuing to connect the service lines to the new main, and they anticipate finishing the service line work by Monday, August 15. They have connected the project’s service lines between County Road 101 and Woodland Road and are working east toward Williston Road.

Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, is following Michels Corporation to restore the areas affected by their work and reopen Excelsior Boulevard. This road is open from County Road 101 to Woodland Road. From Woodland Road to Williston Road, Excelsior Boulevard is currently gravel. They plan to open it within the week of August 22 or late August.

Two crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, are replacing the natural gas main and connecting the service lines to the new main respectively. The first crew anticipates finishing the main replacement in the week of August 8. The second crew completed the service line work from County Road 101 to Scenic Heights Drive. This work also includes moving inside meters outside. They are continuing to work east, following the main crew’s route.

CenterPoint Energy is working with Hennepin County on the closures of Excelsior Boulevard. As of today on Friday, July 8, the intersection of Excelsior Boulevard and Woodland Road is open only for northbound and southbound traffic. Excelsior Boulevard remains closed from County Road 101 to Williston Road into mid-August. Local access remains open. Detour signs will lead through traffic to County Road 101, 62nd Street W. (County Road 62), and Eden Prairie Road (County Road 4).

CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, Michels Corporation, is replacing the natural gas lines in the eastbound lanes. This work includes replacing a natural gas main, connecting the service lines to the new main, moving inside meters outside, and restoring the areas affected by construction.

Beginning on Monday, June 27 and lasting into early or mid-August crews from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will close Excelsior Boulevard from east of County Road 101 to Williston Road. Local access will be maintained. Flaggers will be on site during business hours. Some side streets will be closed along Excelsior Boulevard.

During this time, one crew will replace the natural gas main under the south side of Excelsior Boulevard. Another crew will connect the natural gas service lines to the new mains and move inside meters outside.

Q3 Contracting will follow to restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work outside the limits of Hennepin County’s 2022 Mill and Overlay Project. We appreciate your patience and awareness of our workers during this construction. Thank you very much.

In the weeks of May 30 and June 6, the crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, has been replacing the natural gas main under the south boulevard of Excelsior Boulevard between Biscayne Lane and Holiday Road.

In the week of June 13, they will begin replacing the main under the north boulevard of Excelsior Boulevard from Spring Lane to Westmill Road and under the south boulevard of Excelsior Boulevard from Westmill Road to Nantucket Road.

In areas of active construction and excavations, the crews will set up lane shifts. Flaggers will be on site between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

In addition to CenterPoint Energy’s work, further work will happen by Hennepin County. Beginning in the week of June 13, Hennepin County will close Woodland Road and Excelsior Boulevard. This area will be open to local traffic, in addition to Excelsior Boulevard from County Road 101 and Williston Road and Woodland Road from Highway 7. For questions on their project, please visit their Road Maintenance Projects site here: https://www.hennepin.us/residents/transportation/road-maintenance.

From Thursday, June 2 into late July or early August 2022, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Minnetonka along Excelsior Boulevard from County Road 101 to Williston Road, in addition to Glen Oak Street, Pichia Road, and Cedar Spring Road just north of Excelsior Boulevard.

While Michels Corporation will replace the natural gas mains, connect the natural gas service lines to the new mains, and move any inside meters outside, Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work outside the limits of Hennepin County’s 2022 Mill and Overlay Project.

During this time, two-way traffic will be maintained on Excelsior Boulevard as the crews close one or more lanes. Flaggers may be on site.

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.