Moorhead plans neighborhood street rehabilitation with water‑main and lead service‑line replacements

Clay Lexson, an engineer with the City of Moorhead, said the city is proposing a neighborhood street rehabilitation project starting in May or June 2025 that would cost about $1,620,000 and be funded by a general obligation improvement bond through the PIR fund and roughly $371,000 in property assessments.

The project would rehabilitate pavement on Ninth Avenue (Fourteenth Street to Seventeenth Street), Tenth Avenue (Fourteenth Street to Sixteenth Street) and the full length of Sixteenth Street from Ninth Avenue to Twelfth Street. "In a rehabilitation project the pavement is replaced but the curb and gutter largely stays intact," Lexson said, noting curb, gutter and sidewalk segments would be replaced only where condition or ADA compliance requires it.

The work described by Lexson includes replacement of cast‑iron water mains along Tenth Avenue and Sixteenth Street with 6‑inch PVC and replacement of several lead water service lines. Outside of the water‑main replacements, no other utility improvements are planned at this time, Lexson said.

City staff described the assessment method and estimated amounts: the project uses the city's rehabilitation front‑foot assessment rate of $90 per front foot, which the presentation estimates will generate approximately $371,000 toward the total project cost. The presentation lists the overall project estimate as $1,620,000, which includes construction, contingencies and fees.

Lexson said the schedule is dependent on the contractor's availability and weather; the city expects work to begin in May or June 2025 with a completion target near September 2025, and the project will be done in phases. "During construction there will be times where residents will not have access to their driveways and will need to park vehicles on nearby streets that are not under construction," Lexson said. He added the city will notify affected residents several days in advance of changes to driveway access and that field staff will be available during construction to answer on‑site questions.

The presentation covered routine operational impacts and accommodations: garbage and recycling pickup should continue largely as normal, with contractors moving containers to a common pick‑up point if truck access is blocked and returning them afterward. Residents with mobility or other special access needs were asked to contact city staff early so the city can plan accommodations. The presenter also asked residents to report any sump pump or irrigation lines in the boulevard so those can be marked before excavation; relocation may be required in some cases.

Information resources and contact points given during the presentation include the City of Moorhead engineering page and an online pavement management story map that shows past, current and upcoming projects; the presenter also recommended signing up for project notifications via the city website. For questions specifically about special assessments, the presenter identified Amy Seifert as the city's special assessment coordinator.

The city described the figures and schedule as estimates: the start date, completion date, assessment amounts and total project cost are contingent on contractor scheduling, weather and final contract terms. No formal votes or approvals were recorded in this presentation; the video served to inform residents about the proposed scope, funding approach and expected impacts.

Residents seeking more information were directed to the engineering contact listed on the project page on the City of Moorhead website and to the special assessment coordinator for questions about rates and assessment calculations.