2023 Road Construction in West St. Paul

Thanks to FoodSmith, Minnesota Locks, and Southview Animal Hospital for their support.

Construction season is well underway in West St. Paul with cones, closures, and congestion. Here’s a look at some of the major projects making it harder to get around town, but ultimately bringing needed infrastructure improvements.

West St. Paul Road Construction List:

We’ve got a list of the major road construction projects in West St. Paul, but that doesn’t include minor projects that pop up from time to time. For example, as we were writing this article, we learned west-bound Butler was closed at Robert Street. It’s just a one-day closure by St. Paul Regional Water Services.

We’re also only looking at projects under construction in 2023, not future projects like the 2024 trail project on Delaware or the future Smith/Dodd intersection realignment.

Annapolis

• Where: Annapolis from Smith Avenue to Robert Street.
• When: Work begins May 22 and runs through the end of October.
• What: Complete rebuild—the first time since the 1960s—including a new realignment for the notorious Annapolis/Dodd/Charlton intersection.
• More info: See the city’s project details and our previous story.

Thompson/Oakdale

• Where: Thompson Avenue from Robert Street to 52 and Oakdale Avenue from Wentworth to Butler.
• When: Work is already started and runs through the fall.
• What: A roundabout at the Thompson/Oakdale intersection, resurfacing Thompson and Oakdale, plus sidewalks and trails.
• More info: See the county’s project details and our previous story.

Bernard & Sperl

• Where: Bernard Street from Oakdale Avenue to Felix Street and Sperl Street from Haskell Street to Arion Streets.
• When: Work is already underway and runs through early July.
• What: St. Paul Regional Water is replacing water mains that are 60 to 100 years old.
• More info: See St. Paul Regional Water’s project details.

Smith

• Where: Smith Avenue from Butler Avenue to Ruby Drive.
• When: Now through mid-June. The Butler/Smith intersection will be closed the week of May 15.
• What: Sewer improvements with a lining approach that’s more cost effective and less intrusive.

Bidwell Sidewalk

• Where: Bidwell Street from Thompson Avenue to Butler Avenue.
• When: Begins the week of May 8 and will be completed before August.
• What: Sidewalks are being added on the east side of Bidwell as part of the Safe Routes to Schools program that received federal funding.
• More info: See the city’s project details and our previous story.

Mill & Overlay Projects

• Where: Sections of Allen Avenue, Betty Lane, Carmel Avenue West, Christine Lane, Galvin Avenue, Marywood Lane, Pine Ridge Drive, and White Oaks Drive.
• When: Curb and gutter work has started, paving will begin the week of May 22 and should finish in June.
• What: Rather than a repaving or a total rebuild, this is a middle approach that grinds away the top layer of asphalt and then repaves (more on different approaches to street maintenance).
• More info: See the city’s project details.

In-House Overlays

The city will also do simple repaves (known as in-house overlays—learn more about the different approaches and why) at some point this summer, but the specific streets haven’t been identified yet. These projects are much faster (though don’t last as long) and don’t require lengthy closures.

Wentworth & Humboldt Crossing

• Where: Pedestrian crossing on Wentworth Avenue at Humboldt Avenue.
• When: Sometime this year. It will likely be a relatively quick project with minimal closures.
• What: Permanent improved safety for the River-to-River Greenway trail crossing after a few years of temporary measures. It will include raised curbs, a median to create a pedestrian island, and signage.
• More info: See the county’s project details.

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