Road Construction Begins at Industrial Dr. & Laurel Ct. in Northfield; Maple Street construction Set to start May 19th

Road construction has begun in Northfield, and Phase 1 of the reclamation and overlay projects will start this week. Included in the list of projects is pavement reclamation at Industrial Drive, near Cardinal Glass. The bigger project will be near the Northfield Kwik Trip at Laurel Court, with the street undergoing a full reconstruction and new sidewalks being added in the area. During this first phase of construction, expected to last to the beginning of June, no roads will be closed; motorists can expect short delays. Here’s Northfield City Engineer & Public Works Director Dave Bennett explaining what a pavement reconstruction project is: 

“Well, what does that mean? So that we grind up all the asphalt pavement. We pretty much make a new base for the road, and we repave the entire roadway.” – Dave Bennett, Northfield City Engineer at the 2024 Transportation Townhall.

The improvements at Laurel Court will also include improvements to the entrance to Sechler Park and to the trails in the area. Part of the current work includes tree removal, pavement milling, and grading crews. By mid-May, an updated timeline will be provided on when Laurel Court and Industrial Drive will have future interruptions.

The second phase of road projects is set to begin on May 19th at Maple Street, Lake Drive, and Superior Drive, where a series of roads will undergo a mill and overlay. Mill and overlays are a less intensive construction method that is meant to extend the life of the road for several years. Also, part of the project includes two improvements to pedestrian crossings. Bennett said that city staff survey residents in the neighborhoods to understand where the best place to add pedestrian crossings would be, he explained what some of the changes would look like: 

“We added a raised crossing on heritage, which is more visible. We’ve narrowed roads and narrowed crossings for visibility, so a driver can see a pedestrian in the crosswalk. The crosswalk distance is shorter.”  – Dave Bennett, Northfield City Engineer at the 2024 Transportation Townhall.