Main Street Updates
10-18-24 Project Update
Project Update
The colder weather earlier this week delayed some of the planned construction scheduled for this week.
However, both Lakes County Landscaping and Aqua Lawn have continued with placement of irrigation and trees throughout downtown. These efforts will continue throughout the day today to fill as many of the openings set in the new sidewalk on Phase 4.
The existing bituminous at the tie ins along driveways and parking lots were cut on Monday to prepare for final removals and shaping of the aggregate. Pro Sweep also came back to the site mid-week to sweep remaining portions of downtown in advance of the upcoming final paving.
Parsons Electric continues work on the new signal system at First Avenue, testing the system following the new electrical service that was installed last week. Either today or tomorrow, All States Pavement will be constructing the rumble strips on the rural section of the highway east and west of town. This work will be completed under traffic, but drivers may see a slight delay when in the activity area.
As of late this afternoon, the roadway has been opened for traffic through the weekend but will be closed early Monday to allow for construction throughout the day.
Upcoming Activities
The cooler weather early this week delayed Central Specialties ability to complete paving operations on the project scheduled before Main Street. This has delayed the paving of the final course until Monday. With the proposed paving, Main Street will be shut down from the west side of Second Avenue East to the west side of Fourth Avenue West. All traffic will be detoured to the Second Avenue East intersection during the paving operations.
Following the completion of the paving on Main Street, the intersection of Second Avenue East will be prepped for a temporary pavement cover north of Main Street. This pavement will be placed to cover the aggregate at the intersection over the winter. The pavement will be removed next spring during the reconstruction of Second Avenue Northeast. When the roadway construction at the intersection is
occurring, all traffic will be routed back to the intersection of First Avenue.
Following the completion of the paving operations, the traffic control signage will be shifted to the side of the roadways allowing traffic to return to the roadway. Although traffic will be back on Main Street, construction activities will still be occurring along the roadway, so be careful when running through the
project area.
Late next week, Sir-Lines-A-Lot will be returning to the site to begin pavement marking operations
throughout the rest of the project with crosswalks, centerline and parking/fog line markings. This work will be completed under traffic but will involve minor delays.
10-10-24 Project Update
Efforts to restore downtown are progressing steadily. On Wednesday afternoon, Knife Lake Concrete
completed the last of the concrete sidewalks and driveways along Phase 4. Clearing the area for Lakes
Country Landscaping to begin planting the new grasses in boulevards Thursday afternoon. This effort will
continue with grasses and trees being installed through the rest of the week and into next week.
Outside of Phase 4, ProSweep came to town on Tuesday to clean the portions of the project in advance of
Sir-Lines-A-Lot arriving on Wednesday to paint the pavement markings on the rural section of the project
both east and west of town. Ottertail Aggregate continues to clean up the areas behind the curb on
Seventh Avenue Southeast and along Phase 4.
Parsons Electric continues work on the new signal system at First Avenue. With the poles and mast arms
up, the installation of the new heads has been occurring throughout the week. Today, Ottertail Power will
be running power to the new signals, to allow for testing of the system prior to it being placed into
operation.
Upcoming Activities
Next week, additional trees and grasses will continue to be planted throughout the downtown portion of
the project by Lakes Country Landscaping. Street sweeping will occur on the downtown areas early in the
week, with paving of the final inch and a half by Central Specialties scheduled next week between Fourth
Avenue West and Second Avenue East.
Parsons Electric will continue preparing the new signal system on First Avenue for operation, with the new
streetlights scheduled to arrive on site within the next couple of weeks. Ottertail Aggregate will be
working in NP Park, removing select structures from the park, preparing the area for future park
improvements.
R.L. Larson will have a few of their crew back in town to clean up traffic control signage on completed
sections of the project and addressing cleanup items at various locations identified during the construction
activities.
10-4-24 Project Update
Outside of the City Limits, cleanup of the rural sections of the project has started, with Ottertail Aggregate
completing the shouldering along County Highway 80 on both the east and west sides of town on
Wednesday. On Thursday, Ottertail Aggregate swept the roadway edges where the new shouldering was
completed to clean the edges of the new roadway in advance of upcoming pavement marking.
In town, concrete construction has continued throughout Phase 4. Knife Lake Concrete has been pouring
the new concrete sidewalk all week, jumping from each side of Main Street staggering the new pours
between the ribbon next to the buildings, the boulevard next to the concrete curb, and the colored
Pedestrian Access Route in the center of the walk. Today Knife Lake will be continuing the pours
throughout the day to finish the easterly portion of the phase by weeks end.
Parsons Electric has been preparing the southeast corner of Main Street and First Avenue with various
conduits and wiring to install the new cabinets that will operate the new signals and lighting along the
roadway. A concrete foundation for the cabinets has been poured in the corner to allow for placement of
the various equipment next week. Parsons has also started moving the new signal poles into downtown
and brought additional equipment into the phase to prepare the intersection for the setting of poles next
week.
Today, construction equipment will be cleared from the block between First and Second Avenue East to
allow for the preparation and cleanup for tomorrow’s Oktoberfest downtown. If you are looking for fun
activities tomorrow, please go to the Chamber’s website to join the fun between 10-4:30 p.m. tomorrow!
Upcoming Activities
Next week on Phase 4, Knife Lake Concrete will work to complete the last of the concrete in Phase 4,
focusing on the westerly portions of the phase, along with the various avenues that connect to Main Street.
Knife Lake anticipates that all the concrete will be completed by the end of next week.
Parsons Electric will be closing the crossing at First Avenue early in the week to begin setting the new signal
poles at the intersection. The closure will be necessary to allow for the boom truck to be set in the
intersection to place the four new signal poles over the drive lanes. During the closure, traffic will be
detoured to the Second Avenue East crossing.
Outside of town, Sir-Lines-A-Lot will be working on painting the new pavement markings on the rural
sections of the roadway. During painting activities, please follow traffic control measures to avoid the new
markings.
9-27-24 Project Update
Construction has occurred on all four phases of the project this week, with Parson’s Electric, Central
Specialties, R.L. Larson, Aqua Lawn, Knife Lake Concrete, and Ottertail Aggregate working throughout Main
Street. On Monday morning, Central Specialties began paving the final course of pavement on County
Highway 80 from U.S. Highway 10 west of town. With the final inch and a half of pavement, Central
Specialties continued the operation through Phases 2 and 3 to the intersection of Fourth Avenue West,
while also paving the connecting avenues to the new roadway.
On Tuesday, Ottertail Aggregate completed the placement and grading of the aggregate base for the new roadway in Phase 4, hauling in the last of the material next to the concrete curb and gutter that was placed late last week. Following the final tolerancing of the aggregate, Central Specialties paved the bottom three and a half inches of Main Street in Phase 4 on Wednesday, pulling the first two inches from the side
avenues to cover the aggregate base.
Thursday, Central Specialties shifted operations to the east side of town, starting at Highway 10 to near the
intersection of Second Avenue East. The final paving on the east side will be completed today, leaving
roughly four blocks of the final course to be paved following the completion of the other construction
activities from Fourth Avenue West to Second Avenue East. Central Specialties plans to remove their
bituminous plant from just outside of town throughout the weekend, with the last of the pavement to be
produced at around noon today. Remaining paving materials will be produced from one of their other
plants when the project area is ready.
In addition to surface improvements on Phase 4, Parson’s Electric has continued to run the electrical conduits for the future outlets at tree locations. In addition to the electrical conduits, light foundations
have been poured on Phase 4 in advance of the new lights that will be one of the last items installed during
this year’s construction. In addition to new light foundations and electrical conduits, Aqua Lawn installed
the new irrigation system that will be used to irrigate the plants and trees to be planted this fall.
On Thursday, Knife Lake Concrete returned to the site to begin construction of the sidewalk and driveways
on Phase 4 and Seventh Avenue Southeast. On Thursday, they focused on the intersection of Fourth
Avenue West, then moved to the south side of Main Street between First and Third Avenue West to begin
setting forms for the placement of the ribbon and boulevard concrete walk (normal colored concrete)
today.
Upcoming Activities
Next week on Phase 4, Knife Lake Concrete will be focusing on the pouring of the colored concrete on the
south side of Main Street between First and Third Avenue West on Monday, then moving to the north side
of the roadway between First and Third Avenue, completing the ribbon and boulevard walks first by midweek, with the colored portion completed the following days. During the construction of the sidewalks,
there will be a day for each pour where the front doors to various businesses may not be accessible from
Main Street. Downtown businesses are still open, with many providing access through back doors during
this short timeframe.
Following the completion of the sidewalk work between First and Third Avenue West, a similar process will
be followed to construct the new sidewalk on the last block of Phase 4, between Third and Fourth Avenue
West. The schedule for this work is anticipated to be updated by the next update, following the review of
the progress throughout the week.
In the rural section of the project, Ottertail Aggregate will begin placing the shouldering material along the
new roadway which has been crushed from the previous pavement. This material will be placed under
traffic but may require minor delays for those traveling on the new pavement.
With the delays associated with the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe crossing permits on Second Avenue
Northeast, the utility work beneath the railroad will be delayed to the spring of 2025. This work was
originally planned for this year, which is the reason for the current state of the intersection of Second
Avenue East north of Main Street. Because of the delay, storm sewer inlets on the north side of the
intersection that were originally planned for the phase will be constructed this year to allow for drainage
throughout the winter. This work will be occurring early next week, which will require the re-opening of
the intersection of First Avenue for a day and the temporary removal of the detour. Currently, this work is
planned for Monday and will be completed throughout the workday before the detour is moved back to
Second Avenue East.
Parson’s Electric will continue work on Phase 4, with equipment arriving on site mid-week to begin placing
the new signal poles at the intersection of First Avenue. Following the placement of the signal poles, they
will continue working on the wiring and cabinets which will be placed in the sidewalk southeast of the
signals to operate the new system.
9-20-24 Project Update
Restoration continues on Main Street with various crews working on multiple phases throughout the
project. Outside of the City Limits, the Stabilized Full-Depth Reclamation was completed early this week on the east side of town. On Monday, Central Specialties began paving County Highway 80 from Highway 10 into town, finishing the first two lifts of pavement on Wednesday. Following the completion of the western rural section, Central Specialties paved the final one and a half inches of pavement on the various avenues in town that connect to Main Street. Thursday morning, they shifted to the east side of town and began paving the rural section from Highway 10 to Fifth Avenue East. Paving will continue throughout the day today and for a portion of Saturday to complete the second course of pavement on the east side, including the intersection of Seventh Avenue Northeast near the Industrial Park. In addition to the paving on Main Street, an additional pavement course will be constructed on Seventh Avenue Southeast south of Main Street near Crane Johnson. Please be aware that there may be minor delays near the paving activities and
follow the directions of the flaggers and other traffic control signage in the construction areas.
On Wednesday, Knife Lake Concrete arrived on site following grading of Phase 4 by Ottertail Aggregate.
Knife Lake constructed the curb and gutter from the intersection of First Avenue to Fourth Avenue West,
completing the construction on Thursday afternoon. Parson’s Electric continues to work on the power and
lighting throughout the final phase behind the concrete curb and gutter construction.
R.L. Larson has been working on cleanup throughout the project, sweeping roadways, adjusting various
valve covers, manhole covers, and other features to grade in preparation of upcoming pavement and
sidewalk construction.
Upcoming Activities
Next week on Phase 4, Ottertail Aggregate will continue hauling in the new aggregate base and grading the material for paving. Central Specialties will begin paving the final lift of pavement on County Highway 80 on the west side of town, starting near Highway 10. The final inch and a half of pavement will be constructed from west to east, ending at the intersection of Fourth Avenue West.
While paving activities are progressing west of town, R.L. Larson will be adjusting the manhole and valve
covers from Fifth Avenue East to Highway 10 east of town. Please use caution when traveling on the
section east of town, as the various covers will be above the pavement surface until Central Specialties can pave the final course on Tuesday. The paving on the east end will extend through the first phase, ending near the intersection of First Avenue. Please follow the directions of flaggers and pilot cars during the paving operations.
On Wednesday, Central Specialties will be shifting paving operations to Phase 4 and construct the bottom three and a half inches of pavement prior to the construction of sidewalks in the phase, similar to the phasing that occurred on Phase 1 this spring.
With the pending construction of the sidewalks on Phase 4, the existing snow fence and pavers will be
removed early next week. During the removal of the pavers and grading for the subbase of the new
sidewalk, there will be times when access to the front doors on Phase 4 will be limited. During the times of limited access, customers should review the mapping links on the Chamber’s Website and coordinate with businesses to use back door, or alternate entrances to the various businesses in the phase.
On Thursday, Knife Lake Concrete will return to the project to begin the construction of the new sidewalk. Similar to Phase 1, the concrete will be poured in multiple pours, with the “ribbon” sidewalk next to the buildings and outer edge next to the curb being poured separately from the colored walkable portion in the center. Businesses will be notified the day prior to the pouring of the walks, to prepare for alternative access. Sidewalk construction will be phased over the portion of two weeks following the arrival on site.
9-13-24 Project Update
Construction continues on Seventh Avenue Southeast, County Highway 80 both east and west of the City,
and Phase 4 on the project. Throughout the week crews have continued in the various phases of the
project with differing activities in each Phase.
Downtown on Phase 4, Parson’s Electric has continued to prepare the First Avenue intersection for the
replacement of the signals. Throughout the week, various conduits have been run between the corners,
along with the pouring of the concrete piers that will hold the new signal poles. Outside of First Avenue,
R.L. Larson installed the last of the storm sewer early in the week that will assist in drainage following the
street construction. Following the completion of the storm sewer, they removed the remaining light pole
bases that were left from the previous system. Ottertail Aggregate has continued to remove the existing
subgrade material for the placement of the twelve inches of aggregate material that will provide a stable
base for the concrete curb and gutter and pavement. Knife Lake Concrete has delayed their arrival to the
site to allow for the preparation of all three remaining blocks of curb and gutter to be placed instead of
only one block this week.
On Thursday, Central Specialties arrived on the project, and began making pavement connections of
existing driveways in Phases 2 and 3. This morning, they paved the first course of pavement on Seventh
Avenue Southeast from Main Street to Third Street South and patched remaining areas around the project.
Outside of the City Limits, R.L. Larson has continued to work with All States Pavement Recycling by
completing the stabilizing reclamation on the west side of town on Thursday morning then shifted to the
east side near Highway 10. Work today will complete the stabilization from Highway 10 to approximately
900 feet west of 450th Avenue. The stabilizing reclamation includes the injection of an oil-based material
called an engineered emulsion, being hauled in by tankers from Virginia, which increases the strength of
the road base improving the ride quality.
Upcoming Activities
Next week on Phase 4, Ottertail Aggregate will continue hauling in the new aggregate base early in the
week and completing the construction of the road base from First Avenue to Fourth Avenue West.
Parson’s Electric will begin placing the conduits for lighting and tree base receptacles on the three blocks
before Knife Lake Concrete comes to town mid-week to begin constructing the curb and gutter on the
three blocks. There is a possibility that the remaining paver bricks will be removed from Phase 4 to allow
for the preparation for construction of the new sidewalks late next week. Prior to the removal of the
pavers, communication will occur with properties along the Phase regarding the use of front doors to allow
for grading and curing of the new sidewalks.
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
Outside of the City Limits, Central Specialties will begin paving County Highway 80 from Highway 10 near
the airport into town. The paving of the highway will be completed in three courses, for a total pavement
thickness of five inches. During paving operations, flaggers will be used to direct traffic along the roadway.
Please follow the direction of the flaggers during the activities to allow the construction equipment to
complete the compaction of the new pavement.
On the east side of the project, the reclaimers will be completing the final portion of the stabilizing
reclamation, working from near 450th Avenue to the intersection of Fifth Avenue East. The last phase of the
reclamation should be completed early in the week allowing time for the final grading and paving following
the completion of the paving on the west side of town.
9-6-24 Project Update
Multiple crews continue to work on various portions of the Main Street project, working on Saturday to
keep the project moving forward.
On the reclamation portion of the project (west of County 34 and east of 5th Avenue Southeast) R.L. Larson
has continued to remove the top five inches of reclaimed pavement and aggregate to prepare the material
for the injection of a stabilizing oil next week. On Tuesday, one of the underground crews from R.L. Larson
installed a storm sewer inlet at the intersection of County Highway 34 and County Highway 80. On
Wednesday, Knife Lake Concrete constructed a concrete curb island to direct runoff to the inlet and create
a right turn from County 80 to County 34. On Friday they finished the removals of the top five inches of
material on the western portion and jumped to the east side working through Saturday, completing the
removals from Highway 10 to the Perham Stockyards.
In town, a second underground crew came to town to assist with the utility replacement in Phase 4. The
last of the sanitary sewer mains were installed by mid-week, along with the sewer services in the phase. A
minor water shut down occurred Wednesday to allow for the replacement of hydrants at Second and Third
Avenues West. Storm Sewer replacement started on Friday and will continue through early next week
concluding the utility replacement on the phase.
Parson’s Electric worked on the project throughout the week, installing conduits and other items at the
intersection of First Avenue to prepare the area for the signal system replacement.
Upcoming Activities
Early next week, the last of the storm sewer will be installed in Phase 4, which will include new inlets and
manholes at select intersections in the phase. Parson’s will begin installing signal bases at the intersection
of First Avenue and begin running conduits on the first block west of First Avenue for the future lighting and
electrical outlets where the new trees will be installed.
Ottertail Aggregate will also begin removing the existing subgrade material and preparing the sand base for
new aggregate. Aggregate hauling will also begin next week on the first block in advance of Knife Lake
returning to the site late in the week to begin construction of the curb and gutter on the first block of Main
Street in Phase 4, from First to Second Avenue West.
On the reclamation sections, R.L. Larson will continue removing the top section of the reclaimed material
through mid-week on the east side of the project working from the Perham Stockyards into town. On
Tuesday, the reclaiming contractor, All States Pavement Recycling, will be returning to the site to begin
2024 Main Street Project Update
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
injecting a stabilizing agent on the westerly portion from Highway 10 to County Highway 34. All State’s
anticipates the activities to take approximately three days on the west side of town and an additional three
days on the east side of town. Grading of the stabilized material will follow the work in advance of
scheduled paving of the highway.
8-30-24 Project Update
Construction crews have been busy over the course of the past week working both on improvements
downtown on Phase 4 and on the edges of the City to Highway 10 both on the east and west side of town.
Early this week, All States Pavement Recycling completed the initial reclamation of the surface on the west
side of the project and shifted to the east side of town toward Highway 10. On Thursday, the last section of
reclamation was completed on the urban section, from Seventh Avenue Northeast to Fifth Avenue
Southeast. This morning, R.L. Larson Excavating started removing the top five inches (5”) of material from
the roadway, focusing on the westerly portion of the project. Please be aware that during the removal of
the existing material, flaggers are on site directing traffic with minor delays.
On Phase 4, R.L. Larson worked on replacing the sanitary sewer main on Tuesday, replacing the utility main
to near N.P. Park by the Post Office. On Wednesday, R.L. Larson shifted to replacing sanitary sewer services
for properties along the phase, working from First Avenue to the west. Service replacement will continue
throughout the day today and into next week, with minor storm sewer replacement following the sewer
service replacement. As outlined throughout the project, DOWNTOWN IS OPEN, please be advised that
parking is provided in the various City lots on the map link included at the end of this update. Pedestrian
access is also provided throughout the construction zone, with boardwalks placed in sections of the
removed brick pavers. Please do what you can to continue to support these businesses while the
improvements are being made.
Later today, the intersection of First Avenue will be opened to traffic for the weekend. The temporary stop
signs will be placed to allow traffic to cross the construction zone and limit the impact of the closure
through the Labor Day Weekend. The intersection will remain open until approximately 9:00 a.m. on
Tuesday to allow for the traffic during the morning of the first day of school.
Upcoming Activities
Underground utility improvements will continue next week, with R.L. Larson working on the replacement of
sanitary sewer from Third to Fourth Avenue West along with sewer service replacement. A second
underground crew will be coming to town next week to assist with the utility replacement and will shift to
water service and hydrant replacement during the week. The hydrant replacement will require minor
shutdowns of the water system to allow for the connections. R.L. Larson will be coordinating the
shutdowns and notifying properties of the timeframe where water use will be restricted. Following the
replacement of the sanitary sewer and select water components, R.L. Larson will be shifting to storm sewer
replacement in Phase 4. The remaining underground utilities are anticipated to take roughly an additional
week and a half, which will be followed by road construction preparation.
2024 Main Street Project Update
Main Street, Second Avenue Northeast, and Seventh Avenue Southeast
On Tuesday morning, Parsons Electric will be closing the intersection of First Avenue around 9:00 a.m. to
begin placing the various signal bases and conduits for the new traffic signals. This work may impact the
pedestrian access through the intersection which may require crossing the roadway to avoid the new signal
work.
On the rural sections of the project, R.L. Larson’s third crew will be continuing the process of removing the
top five inches of reclaimed pavement and preparing the roadway for the second round of reclamation,
which will include the injection of an oil-based material to prepare the roadway for paving. Work will focus
on the western portion of County Highway 80 from the Highway 10 exit to the intersection of County
Highways 34 and 51. Following the completion of the removal of the top section, R.L. Larson will shift to
the east working toward Highway 10 on the east side of town. The intent is to complete the removal of the
top section on both rural sections by the end of next week, in advance of All States Pavement Recycling
returning to the project the week of September 9th
.
In addition to the removal of material on the rural section, R.L. Larson will also be installing a storm sewer
inlet in the southwest corner of the intersection of County Highway 80 and County Highway 34. The inlet
will be installed near St. Henry’s Cemetery, to address drainage concerns on County 34. The storm sewer
installation will limit turning movements from eastbound County 80 traffic for a short timeframe. Please
follow the flaggers direction or other traffic control devices placed along the project in any construction
zone.
If you have any questions, or want additional information on the project, the Perham Chamber of
Commerce has created a webpage dedicated to the project, which can be accessed at this link
(https://www.perham.com/2024msrp/). For more specific questions, feel free to contact the City Engineer,
Jade Berube, via email at jade.berube@apexenggroup.com, or City Manager, Jonathan Smith at
jsmith@cityofperham.com.
8-23-24 Project Update
Project Update
Various construction crews have been working on multiple portions of Main Street throughout the week,
with activities occurring on Phase 4 (First Avenue to Fourth Avenue West) and on the west side of town
outside of the City Limits.
Early this week, the intersection of Main Street and First Avenue removals occurred, with the existing
pavement and concrete removed by Ottertail Aggregate in advance of the underground utility
improvements. With the removals, all traffic was redirected to Second Avenue East on the detour route
and back to Fourth Avenue utilizing Second Street South as the bypass through the zone. Following the
removal of the surface, R.L. Larson started the utility replacement in the intersection working on both the
sanitary sewer and storm sewer replacement throughout the week. Today, the intersection will be opened
on a temporary aggregate surface with four way stops to allow for traffic through the construction zone
due to the events scheduled for the weekend around town.
This week, the Full Depth Reclamation also began on the west side of town on County 80 from County
34/51 to Highway 10 west of town. The reclamation is being completed in sections and flaggers are being
used following an alternative traffic control method tried earlier this week. Full Depth Reclamation is a
rehabilitation method in which the full thickness of the asphalt pavement is pulverized and blended with a
portion of the underlying aggregate base to provide a new base for the roadway. Please be advised that if
you are coming into town on the roadway, it may be beneficial to utilize other roadways (County 34) as you
may be delayed by the construction activities and the flaggers required to complete the work.
On Tuesday, a drone was used to fly over the construction zone showing the various activities downtown.
Attached is a view of the activities from Fourth Avenue West looking toward downtown.
Upcoming Activities
Next week, R.L. Larson will continue with the underground utility replacement on Main Street. They will primarily work on the sanitary sewer main lines from First Avenue to the west. The intersection of First
Avenue will again be shut down for a portion of the week to allow for storm sewer modifications, please
follow detour signage when the detour is in place. Keep in mind that although the detour will be up, the
DOWNTOWN IS OPEN! Access to downtown businesses can be made through the alleys north of Main
Street and the side avenues up to the roadway. Please follow the link at the bottom of the page, which
redirects you to the Perham Chamber’s website and includes a map of access to various facilities.
Sidewalks will also remain in place as long as possible to allow pedestrian access to the various businesses
in the construction phase.
The reclamation of County 80 west of town will also continue over the course of next week, which consists
of mixing the existing pavement and aggregate to allow for a new base for the upcoming pavement of the
highway. As advised earlier, alternative routes into town are recommended, if possible, to avoid delays
caused by the construction activities.
If you have any questions, or want additional information on the project, the Perham Chamber of
Commerce has created a webpage dedicated to the project, which can be accessed at this link
(https://www.perham.com/2024msrp/). For more specific questions, feel free to contact the City Engineer,
Jade Berube, via email at jade.berube@apexenggroup.com, or City Manager, Jonathan Smith at
jsmith@cityofperham.com.
8-16-24 Project Update
Project Update
Main Street construction has started again! On Tuesday, a majority of the new detour redirecting traffic
from Main Street west of First Avenue was setup and on Wednesday, removals on Phase 4 began. Ottertail
Aggregate has been working on the removals and started west of the intersection of First Avenue to leave
the existing surface in place as long as possible. Removals have been primarily focused on the center of the
roadway, with the existing bricks left in place to allow for pedestrian access as long as possible. Today, they
finished the remaining removals to the intersection of Fourth Avenue, completing work for the week.
On other parts of the project, Knife Lake completed concrete improvements on Seventh Avenue Southeast
and Seventh Avenue Northeast including curb and gutter, driveways and valley gutters.
Upcoming Activities
Next week, additional crews will be arriving in town to complete additional project components. On
Monday morning, Ottertail Aggregate will begin removing pavement in the intersection of First Avenue,
which will require that all traffic be re-routed to a detour on Second Avenue Northeast. The removals will
be necessary to allow R.L. Larson to begin underground utilities in the intersection, first with the removal of
storm sewer in the intersection, followed by the replacement of sanitary sewer mains working west out of
the intersection.
The plan is to complete as much of the underground utilities as possible in the area to allow traffic to
return to the intersection later in the week in advance of the busy weekend. Although late in the week the
intersection may be open, please realize that the surface will be sand and may be susceptible to potholes
and other construction related debris.
Mid-week the pavement reclaimers are scheduled to come to town to begin reclaiming the existing
pavement on the west side of town from Highway 10 to the intersection of County 34 and 51. The
reclamation will be completed in phases, with the first phase consisting of the grinding and placement of
approximately ten inches of the existing roadway. This will be the primary goal next week, with a portion
of the material being removed in future weeks. The reclamation will be completed with a moving traffic
control system where flaggers will be used to direct traffic when one lane is closed for traffic utilizing
County 80 west of town. Please follow the direction of flaggers to allow for a safe working environment.
If you have any questions, or want additional information on the project, the Perham Chamber of
Commerce has created a webpage dedicated to the project, which can be accessed at this link
(https://www.perham.com/2024msrp/). For more specific questions, feel free to contact the City Engineer,
Jade Berube, via email at jade.berube@apexenggroup.com, or City Manager, Jonathan Smith at
jsmith@cityofperham.com.