Victoria’s Lifeline

June 2012 was the first busy Highway 5 construction month in the City of Victoria — at least on the surface.  Construction designs, costs, and plans have been moving ahead behind the scenes for over a year.

MnDOT’s two major construction sites on Highway 5 in Victoria are (1) the bridge just west of downtown Victoria ….

and 2) the sink hole settlement area just east of downtown Victoria.

Since Hwy 5 is the lifeline for the City of Victoria, there have been understandable concerns about the continuing life of the city this summer.

Victoria city councilmembers planned ahead last spring and upgraded upgraded Stieger Lake Lane, a road that runs rather parallel to Hwy 5 through downtown Victoria, located about a block north of Hwy 5, and it has been taking a lot of the detour traffic.

If Hwy 5 (above) is a major artery through the heart of Victoria, then Stieger Lake Lane is a major vein through the heart of Victoria, and so life continues.

The Victoria Gazette formulated a list of questions related to these two major construction sites in Victoria.

The person answering the questions is Kenneth Slama, Project Manager with MnDOT.

ABOUT THE BRIDGE

Gazette:  How wide was the old bridge?

MnDOT:  It accommodated two narrow lanes of traffic.

Gazette:  It was made out of concrete, correct?

MnDOT:  Yes, it was made out of concrete.

Gazette:  Why is it being replaced?

MnDOT:  The bridge was badly deteriorated and there was concrete spalling.

Spalling is defined as chip, fragment, or flakes of material broken off a larger solid body, usually caused by corrosion, weathering, excessive pressure.

Gazette:  How wide will the new bridge be?  MnDOT:  44 feet.

Gazette:  Is the new bridge being built to accommodate four-lane traffic one day?  MnDOT:  No.

Gazette:  Will it also be a concrete bridge?  MnDOT:  Yes.

Gazette:  Who is the contractor building it?  MnDOT:  Minnowa is a subcontractor of S.M. Hentges.

Gazette:  When will the new bridge be navigable?  MnDOT:  Construction will be completed August 30th, 2012, and open to traffic August 31st, 2012.

ABOUT THE SINK HOLE

Gazette:  The asphalt was scraped off and ground up for reuse?  MnDOT:  The asphalt was ground off but not reusable.  Contractor on the job is S.M. Hentges.

Gazette:  Where was it hauled?  MnDOT:  It was hauled to a pit in Shakopee.

Gazette:  How long and how deep was the actual excavation?

MnDOT:  The excavation was approximately 700 feet long and had depth ranging from 1 foot to 8.8 feet.  More excavations will take place after the surcharge is removed.

Gazette:  What kind of soil was it that they replaced?  MnDOT:  A mixture of sand and gravel.

Gazette:  What was hauled in to replace the poor road soil?  MnDOT:  The surcharge material is sand and clay.  After the surcharging is done, the material will be replace with geofoam blocks.  These are essentially Styrofoam blocks with structural capacity to replace the material with a lighter load.  This will alleviate the sink hole.

Gazette:  How long does the surcharge have to sit to work its job, which is to accelerate the sinking so it shouldn’t happen again in the future?  MnDOT:  We are estimating 55 days.  MnDOT will monitor the surcharge as time progresses.

Gazette:  When will the area be blacktopped and navigable?  MnDOT:  Construction will be complete August 30th, 2012, and open to traffic August 31st, 2012.

ABOUT THE FUTURE

From July 6th to August 30th, Hwy 5 will be closed between Highway 41 (above, outside the eastern limits of the City of Victoria) and Stieger Lake Lane (in Victoria).  The closure will last for up to 36 consecutive days.

The pedestrian underpass near Faith Lutheran Church and the MN Landscape Arboretum will be constructed as well as turn lanes at four Victoria intersections along Hwy 5:  (1)  At the Dairy Queen, (2) at Park Drive/Kochia Lane, (3) at Bavaria Road/Rolling Acres Road, (4) at Minnewashta Parkway.

Stay Tuned

Email:  Sue@PrintsPublishing.com

HomePage:  www.PrintsPublishing.com

Businesses along Hwy 5 may have lost a little business, but businesses along Stieger Lake Lane are busier than normal because the detour brings them more exposure.