Downtown Osseo Central Avenue Reconstruction Project CEAM’S Project of the Year
January 26, 2011
The City of Osseo was awarded Project of the Year for their Central Avenue Improvements Project from the City Engineers Association of Minnesota (CEAM) on January 26, 2011 as part of CEAM’s Annual Conference. Entries were judged on the public benefit and service nature of the project, innovative design characteristics, construction management and control techniques, environmental considerations in the design, community relations and involvement during construction, safety performance, and quality of the overall end product.
Central Avenue once served as a major north-south corridor through the northern metro area until Trunk Highway 169 was rerouted around Osseo and Central Avenue was turned back over to the City as a local roadway. However, many regional commuters still use Central Avenue as a convenient thoroughfare, cumulating an average daily traffic in excess of 11,000 vehicles per day.
The corridor’s regional significance is matched by its local importance, serving as “Main Street” to Osseo’s historic downtown. For over 100 years, Central Avenue has been the City’s heart of commerce, entertainment and tourism. The City has maintained its commitment to promoting a thriving downtown, and in accordance with its most recent comprehensive plan, downtown Osseo remains the focal point for future mixed-use redevelopment.
To accommodate the demands of increasing residential and commercial populations and to facilitate the future prosperity of downtown Osseo, Central Avenue’s infrastructure required an “extreme makeover” of utilities, roadway pavement, and streetscaping. The corridor’s storm sewer was completely replaced and expanded to mitigate local flooding problems; watermain was upsized from 6” to 10”, with new 6” service lines extended to all properties, increasing fire protection throughout downtown and the entire City; and the 7-block roadway was paved with concrete to provide a long-lasting solution to the City’s perpetual street maintenance responsibilities.
High quality streetscape improvements reflect the City’s sentiments and dedication toward downtown Osseo. Gateway monuments greet visitors at both ends. Decorative paver sidewalks direct pedestrians along a corridor of ornamental trees, planter boxes, benches, bollards and waste receptacles. The street is lined with decorative LED lighting with poles that support seasonal banners, flagpoles, and Osseo’s famous hanging flower baskets. The boulevard was constructed using pervious pavers, reducing storm water runoff into the street and storm sewer. The “Civic Block”, flanked by City Hall and Boerboom Veterans Park, was constructed exclusively with concrete pavers and delineated with surmountable curb and gutter, allowing the block to be closed to traffic and converted to an accessible plaza area for major City events.
Bolton & Menk, Inc., ranked in the Top 500 Engineering Firms by Engineering News Record (ENR), provides services in the areas of civil and municipal, traffic and transportation, water and wastewater, and water resources engineering. The firm also provides environmental review, land surveying and mapping services. Our staff of nearly 250 professionals and technicians is available to assist clients in meeting the ever-increasing demand for quality engineering and surveying services. In addition to their four offices serving the Twin Cities Metropolitan area, the firm also operates offices in Mankato, Fairmont, Sleepy Eye, Willmar and Brainerd, Minnesota and Ames, Iowa.
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