Watch for road closures, lane restrictions near St. Paul campus due to construction projects
City of St. Paul public works crews are having a busy summer carrying out projects on three streets that cut through the St. Thomas campus – this week near Sitzmann Hall and at the Grand-Cretin entrance to the south campus and in August on Finn Street.
Crews closed Cleveland Avenue between Summit and Portland avenues last Wednesday to install a new water main to Sitzmann, where an addition is under construction. New asphalt will be laid on Monday and the city expects to reopen Cleveland to traffic on Wednesday.
The entrance to the south campus at Cretin and Grand avenues will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday to allow city crews to lower two sewer catch basins and re-grade the western-most lane of Cretin.
Water ponds form on the western edge of the intersection during rainfall because the existing catch basins are too high and the street is not properly graded. Lowering the basins and re-grading a 100- to 150-foot strip of Cretin is expected to significantly improve drainage.
There will be some lane restrictions for southbound Cretin traffic. Motorists will need to use the Summit Avenue entrance and exit for access to the south campus.
Construction crews tentatively are scheduled to rebuild Finn Street between Summit and Grand beginning Aug. 3, and the project is expected to take until Labor Day.
The project includes rebuilding and widening Finn, with curb and gutter, and installing a new water main. There will be temporary water service during this period for the Development and Admissions offices and the Child Development Center.
The amount of work will require the city to close Finn to all traffic during most of the construction period. Motorists will need to use the north-south alley between Cretin and Finn to access lots and parking spaces on that block, while those who need access to parking east of Finn will need to enter the block near Cleveland.
The city is aware that classes resume Sept. 9 and said its goal is to complete the Summit-to-Grand portion of Finn by Labor Day. Finn also will be rebuilt between Grand and St. Clair Avenue, with a traffic circle installed at Lincoln Avenue.