November 22, 2007
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I-35W Bridge over the MississippiNov. 21, 2007Greetings! With a shortened work week (for those not working on the new 35W Bridge), we’re sending out the regular update a little early this week. As we head into the holiday, 35W Bridge Project leaders note that steady progress is continuing on the 35W Bridge project.If you have questions, please do not reply directly to this email. Contact Amy Barrett, Public Information Officer, at (612) 807-3264 or via e-mail at abarrett@flatironcorp.com.
Minnesotans Break for the Holiday- Construction Crews Continue Work
Listen while you can
Not long after the holiday, the project will mark a milestone. The pile driving that began last week is almost 80% complete, and crews will wrap up this work over the next week.
There will be a break in pile driving on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), but it will continue on Friday and Saturday and run from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This process involves steel-on-steel impact, which generates a significant amount of noise. Pile driving is taking place only on the south side of the river, near the Center Point Energy parking lot.
Flatiron engaging local sub-contractors and local workers
Flatiron-Manson made an early commitment to provide local jobs and to engage local companies in this important project for the state. We’re proud to report that the Project has already hired a number of local subcontractors to assist with the bridge construction and will continue to do so through the remainder of the project.
Flatiron-Manson also reached a Project Labor Agreement last week with the Minneapolis Building Trades Council, which ensures union workers will perform all construction work on the project. At the project’s peak, there will be approximately 600 union employees working each day.
Looking for ways to burn off Thanksgiving dinner and leftovers? Bring your friends and family to see the bridge progress this weekend
If you have out-of-town visitors this weekend who are interested in viewing the bridge site, bring them to this Saturday’s Sidewalk Superintendent Talk. Project Manager Peter Sanderson will lead interested citizens along the 10th Avenue Bridge for a close-up look at the construction site and answer questions. Everyone is welcome, including kids. Meet in front of Grandma’s Saloon at Washington Avenue South and 19th Avenue.
Construction Updates
Here’s what you can expect the remainder of this week and into next week:
Not working on the night shift
There will be no second-shift work for the remainder of the week and no night lighting. Second shift work may begin again around the middle of next week as crews begin drilling shafts for bridge supports.No parking
Parking will be restricted in the southwest quadrant of the intersection of 4th Street SE and 6th Avenue SE, and some parking meters on 6th Avenue SE (south of Main Street) have been hooded for the remainder of the project. This will improve traffic flow and provide construction vehicles with better sight lines for turning.
Public safety reminder
The public is asked to stay away from the bridge construction area for safety reasons. The best place to view construction activity is the west side of the 10th Avenue Bridge.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the Flatiron-Manson construction team intend to build a high quality and safe bridge while minimizing interruptions to the surrounding neighborhoods.We will continue to distribute updates weekly and welcome your comments on how to improve the communication process between the project team and the community.For more information on the I-35W project visit www.mndot.gov or call the I-35W Bridge Hotline at 612-236-6901.
