BP Main Street reconstruction starts

For the most part, with the exception of some heavy showers at mid-week, the weather has cooperated with the beginning of work on the reconstruction of Main Street in Blooming Prairie.
Major construction officially began on Monday, June 15, with some street pavement removal being done on the east side of Main Street to 5th Avenue. Directional drilling also began under Highway 218 and the railroad.
The drilling procedure allowed Highway 218 to remain open, explained Matt Smith, vice president of Elcor Construction, Rochester. Elcor holds the general contract on the $2.7 million project of Steele County and the city of Blooming Prairie.
Ellingson Companies of West Concord was doing the directional drilling on site. 
Utility relocations were also happening last week at the intersection of 218 and Main Street, Smith said.
Forrest Hasty, project inspector for Steele County, said the relocation involving Frontier Communications and city utilities went very smoothly. Once the connections were relocated, the storm sewer could be installed. He also said that the directional drilling was part of the original plan. He said the drilling was to have been completed by the end of last week.
Sidewalk and pavement removal on the east side of Main Street to 5th Ave. was completed last week. This week, work began on underground utilities, sanitary sewer and water main on the east side.
Except for the directional drilling which was initiated on Main Street, west of Highway 218, the bulk of the first week of work was done on the east side of 218. Major street and sidewalk removal on Main Street will start after the 4th of July.
The project sequence will look like this: removals; sanitary sewer and water main; sewer and water services; storm sewer; roadway grading; roadway paving; electrical; sidewalk and signage and striping.