Oakdale council approves 2025 neighborhood street reconstruction and assessment roll

The Oakdale City Council on Jan. 28 adopted a resolution ordering the 2025 Street Reconstruction Project covering neighborhood streets east of Greenway Avenue and later voted to adopt the assessment roll that will put about $1,089,240 in special assessments on the properties in the project area.

The action followed a staff presentation on the proposed reconstruction, water-main replacements and lighting upgrades by Brian Bachmeier, the consulting city engineer for the City of Oakdale, and Brad Swanson, the project manager with the design firm. Bachmeier described the work as about two miles of streets in a concentrated area and said the city’s five-year program targets neighborhoods where many streets are in poor condition.

The project, as presented, would combine pavement rehabilitation, curb-and-gutter replacement where needed, replacement of aging water mains on several streets and conversion of street lighting from high-pressure sodium to LED fixtures. Bachmeier said about half the streets in the project area need water-main replacement and that the water mains in the affected blocks date from 1966. "We're gonna be replacing the water main," Brad Swanson said, describing repeated breaks in multiple locations.

Why it matters: Staff told the council the work aims to extend pavement life, improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, lower long-term maintenance costs and avoid recurring emergency repairs. The estimated total project cost presented to the council was about $5,800,000; special…