Hold on to your hard hats, construction ahead!
UPDATED Information on 8/3/2021: Mall Drive is open and the construction project is complete (maybe just a little cleaning up still happening). Strong, new sewer pipes are installed- mission accomplished!
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UPDATED Information on 7/28/2021: Haines Road is scheduled to open on Friday, July 30th! Mall Drive will remain closed for one more week or so to clean up the project area.
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UPDATED Information on 7/13/2021: Burning Tree Road is now open! Haines Road just closed today, and will be closed for approximately two weeks.
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UPDATED Information on 7/6/2021: WLSSD contractors are making great progress on the Hermantown Interceptor sewer pipeline replacement project in the vicinity of Mall Drive, Haines Road, and Burning Tree Road. We’d like to share the progress with you, and provide road closure updates.
Burning Tree Road, at its junction with HWY 53 South, remains closed and is still under construction. However, the pipe has been replaced at this section, and the road is being restored. The curb and sidewalks are newly installed, and the road is planned to be paved Saturday, July 10th, weather pending. Haines Road, at its junction with HWY 53 South, will be closing Tuesday, July 13th in order to replace the pipe running underneath it. The closure of Haines Road will not impact traffic on HWY 53 South. WLSSD contractors are working to open Burning Tree Road as quickly as possible, so that its closure overlaps with the Haines Road closure for just a limited time.
July 2021 Closures:
- Mall Drive between the Wells Fargo and Super One entrances will be closed for the duration of the project.
- Burning Tree Road remains closed at its junction with Hwy 53 South until mid-July, weather pending.
- Hwy 53 South will have short-term lane and/or shoulder closures throughout the project.
- Haines Road will be closed starting Tuesday, July 13th at the southern side of the intersection at Hwy 53, for approximately 2 weeks.
Detours will be marked, and will primarily follow Maple Grove Road.
Check out our fact sheet and map for July updates: Hermantown-Interceptor-Replacement-fact-sheet July Updates
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UPDATED Information on 5/28/2021: Construction is now in full swing! Here are a few tips for navigating to businesses in the project area (see map below):
- Burning Tree Road is closed at its intersection with Hwy 53 south.
- Take Maple Grove Road as the detour to area businesses.
- Mall Drive is closed between the SuperOne Foods and Wells Fargo entrances.
- Both SuperOne entrances are open! In order to reach SuperOne Foods, you’ll need to take Maple Grove Road, and then turn on Burning Tree Road, or Mall Drive (near Target). Mall Drive, starting at Maple Grove Road, is open all the way to the SuperOne Foods entrance. Beyond this entrance, the road is closed.
- Wells Fargo and Krenzen are accessible from Haines Road.
We appreciate your patience!
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Let’s be honest. Road closures and construction projects can be frustrating. Especially when they happen during the summer months when all we really want to do is breezily get from point A to point b, enjoy the warm wind in our hair, the sun on our face, and relish the anticipation of the adventure awaiting us on the other side of our commute. Well, let’s bring that daydream to a screeching halt.
While construction can be anything from a minor nuisance to a rage-worthy experience from the outside looking in – the view is quite different from the inside. From the WLSSD point of view, it is critical that we invest in the wastewater infrastructure that supports the 17 communities we serve.
Seventy-five miles of underground pipes must be monitored and maintained to ensure wastewater safely reaches our treatment facility. If aging and weakened pipe go unnoticed and uncorrected, it could result in environmental harm and sewer systems interruptions. If there is anything more cringey than road closures, it’s the idea of our wastewater gunk leaking out of our pipes and/or unexpected sewer outages resulting in not being able to use the toilet, shower and other drains in our homes.
So, this is what we’ve been leading up to: late May through August 2021, WLSSD contractors will be replacing a section of sewer pipe that runs underground in the “ditch” between Hwy 53 South and Mall Drive. This section of pipeline is part of what we call our Hermantown Interceptor that carries wastewater to the WLSSD facility on 27th Avenue West for treatment. Mall Drive and adjacent roads will be used as a staging area for the equipment used during the project to include vehicles and heavy machinery, pumps, and a temporary pipeline.
Here are some good-to-know tidbits about road closures during this project:
- Mall Drive between the Wells Fargo and Super One entrances will be closed for the duration of the project.
- Burning Tree Road will also be closed for the duration at its junction with Hwy 53 South.
- Hwy 53 South will have short-term lane and/or shoulder closures throughout the project.
- Haines Road will be closed at the intersection with Hwy 53 South, for about 2 weeks. This closure will occur toward the end of the project in August.
- Detours will be marked (primarily Maple Grove Road)
Most of the Hermantown Interceptor was built in 1964. The corrugated metal pipe is starting to breaking down and must be replaced before there’s an emergency. WLSSD will replace the current pipe with a new PVC pipe that has a larger capacity and is made of a more durable materials. This project will increase the longevity of the pipeline and ensure reliable sewer service continues into the future. This pipeline replacement project is phase 1 of a longer term project to replace the entire 4.7 mile long pipeline that services Hermantown and the surrounding communities and extends to WLSSD. The rest of the project phases will happen periodically over several years.
The first picture is the old corrugated metal pipe that needs to be replaced. The second picture is an example of the new PVC pipe. Take a look at that new pipe! That is one hefty, good-lookin’ pipe!
The cost of the pipe replacement this summer alone, will be 1.6 million dollars. Thankfully, loans and governmental funding are available for infrastructure projects. These projects are, of course, worth every “drop” because they keep the pipes fresh and functional, and that in turn keeps our community members and the environment safe and healthy. These costs are like investing in your health care: quality foods, exercise and doctor visits will help keep your “pipes” strong!
So let your hair blow in the breeze as you cruise the detour on Maple Grove Road this summer, without a care in the world, knowing the pipes are being cared for and tended to, to ensure a dependable wastewater system for years to come!
Funding for this project is provided through a loan from Minnesota’s Public Facilities Authority, made possible through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). CWSRF funds are provided through federal legislation, and passed on to states by the U.S. EPA to fund wastewater infrastructure projects.