Joel Friday, e-PRO

Wow, the 3 legged milk stool award goes to the Hanson Blvd construction team. The project was originally slated to start last spring and be done not long after the bridge over 10 was done. That project was done by July 07 but the Hanson Blvd road widening project hadn't even started yet. After enduring 6 months of Hanson being closed last year we thought the end was near. No such luck however as the intersections with County 14 (242) and Bunker had yet to be started.

I have watched a lot of construction projects over the years and you can normally see the pace and get a rough idea of how long it will take. All summer long we drove on new lanes but traffic crawled while only half of the road could be used. Little progress was seen and hardly any work seemed to be happening. One day they work on a small section. Three weeks later they might work on another section.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was held on October 9th but the road was not fully opened to traffic until last weekend. Even now, they are working at a snails pace to paint the lines on the road. Any way we are thankful the road is now open to traffic as it certainly helps in speed and safety.

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

JoelFridayHomes

The fall colors were spectacular this year in Coon Rapids. I added a few pictures below to show you some of what I saw on our walk today through Bunker Hills Regional Park and the Oaks of Shenandoah. We walked through the new tunnel under Hanson Blvd and over to the new tunnel under the railroad tracks and through the golf course. They still have it closed at the tracks but we walked on around anyway. The trail map is below the pictures.

Enjoy the pictures!

JoelFridayHomes.com

612-868-6287

Joel Friday Homes

Who said the market is slow? Certainly not in Elk River right now. On one street with 20 new townhomes that all went back to the bank, there are currently 11 pending sales. That is unheard even in the best of times. Granted these homes are selling at about 60% of their value when built, but we are really seeing homes sell fast here. I know this is a very small micro market and this does not signify anything huge but, I think this may by a sign of a bottoming out. This also may be another reason to oppose the bailout as the free market seems to be working fine.

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

JoelFridayHomes.com

612-868-6287

As a frequent blogger on the 35W river project, I had to be one of the first people to cross the new bridge. My wife and I went to pick up my car at Orr Auto in Eden Prairie yesterday morning. 35W was a few miles further but we went that way and crossed around 7am, about 2 hours after the bridge opened.

I brought my daughter to the airport the morning of July 31st 2007. There was quite a bit of construction on the bridge that day. one lane in each direction was closed. Little did I know that we crossed the bridge for the last time.

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy a few pictures my wife took as we crossed the bridge once again open.

The Interstate 35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge is scheduled to open to public traffic during the week of September 15, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced today. "Throughout the rebuilding process, we have kept the memories of the victims of last August's bridge collapse in our thoughts and prayers," said Mn/DOT Commissioner Tom Sorel. "This bridge has been built to the highest possible safety standards and is coming in ahead of schedule and on budget. We're looking forward to seeing motorists using the new bridge next week." The bridge is expected to open to traffic as early as Tuesday, September 16, 2008. A news conference with Governor Tim Pawlenty and other officials will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 15, at the bridge to announce the specific opening time and other details. Construction on the new I-35W Bridge began on November 1, 2007 and crews have worked around the clock since then. The project has employed extensive safety and quality inspection programs to ensure that the finished bridge will be high quality, safe and last for at least 100 years. During the final week of construction, work crews will continue: * Installing and testing anti-icing and smart bridge systems * Finishing and striping the bridge deck * Installing roadway signs * Landscaping areas along the corridor * Installing and testing traffic signals and lights * Cleaning up the site "I-35W in Minneapolis is a major transportation artery for the Twin Cities and entire state. Each day this bridge has been closed it has cost road users more than $400,000," Commissioner Sorel said. "Area residents, business owners, motorists, workers and countless others have been affected by this corridor's closure. The opening of this bridge reconnects our community."