Woodbury drivers, businesses await Valley Creek Road construction
Nearly four miles will be reconstructed this summer in an effort to fix up a major road in Woodbury.By: Riham Feshir, Woodbury Bulletin
Nearly four miles will be reconstructed this summer in an effort to fix up a major road in Woodbury.
Valley Creek Road will be redone from Bielenberg Drive to Woodbury Drive.
Washington County is leading the project, but a contractor has not yet been hired for the job.
Jacob Gave, Washington County engineer and project manager, said the road from Bielenberg Drive to Interlachen Parkway will be done in a concrete finish, while the rest from there to Woodbury Drive will be asphalt.
“We’re anticipating major traffic impact for the concrete,” he said.
However, he added, “it’s a temporary change, but there will be access.”
The county decided to fix up one of Woodbury’s major roads because of the condition and age of the pavement.
During the construction process, storm sewer repairs will take place and traffic signals will be upgraded with flashing yellow arrows and pedestrian push buttons.
The county held an open house Tuesday, April 3, to inform businesses about the project, but only a few business owners attended.
“Local drivers will be able to figure their way around,” Gave said.
There will be no detours during the three- to- four-month construction period, he added.
Construction is expected to begin in July and last until September.
“We’re kind of trying to work it so we don’t have any impact for the Fourth of July weekend,” Gave said.
The county plans to close off one side of Valley Creek, while opening the other for two-way traffic going east and west and alternating until construction is complete.
The Radio Drive-Valley Creek Road intersection will be closed off for a period of three to four weeks, while still allowing right turns from Valley Creek to Radio.
Michael O’Halloran, owner of O’Halloran and Murphy Funeral Home – soon to be built near the intersection – said traffic for his own construction will be impacted.
It will overlap with the Valley Creek construction, but his crew will have access to the site from Radio Drive to Donegal Drive, where the business will be located.
Robert Muir Company, which owns a number of commercial properties in Woodbury including Woodbury Village, will also be affected.
Rick Schroeder, vice president of construction for Robert Muir, said the impact will be minimal, however.
“I don’t think it’ll be an issue,” he said.
Construction will begin right at Bielenberg Drive where Woodbury Village is located.
Customers of that center will have access from Radio to Bielenberg and from Queens Drive to Currell Boulevard, then south onto Bielenberg.
“The work starts on the east side of Bielenberg so there is always going to be access to those shops,” Schroeder said. “I don’t think there is going to be any need for signage or anything like when we went from 494 to the interchange.”
During that time when the 494 bridge was being built in 2006, traffic was redirected to Lake Road and Woodlane Drive and back to Valley Creek Road.
“We’ve had projects where we’ve had pretty severe impact,” said Washington County Public Works Planner Lyssa Leitner. “It’s a pretty short project in the grand scheme of things.”
The county will hold another open house this summer once a contractor is hired and before construction begins.
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