Understandably, the spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, has raised questions about the status of Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) plant and interceptor construction projects. Please note the following:
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Construction on wastewater treatment plants and sewer interceptors will continue. The contractors are following working environment protocols (asking employees to stay home if they are sick, social distancing, etc.) as outlined by public health agencies.
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Some project staff are working remotely while others remain on-site to ensure proper oversight of the project. Staff will stay connected through emails, conference calls, and web-based meetings to manage construction activities.
Contact information
For information regarding construction, please call the construction hotline or send an email to the contact information listed on the bottom of that project’s website.
Subscribe to construction updates
While the response to COVID-19 continues to evolve, we will continue to monitor and review construction activities and conditions through our field inspectors and their on-site reporting. We will be using electronic communication methods to share information, should there be additional updates. Subscribe to updates by text or email.
Minnesota's response to COVID-19
The latest information on the state’s response can be found on the Minnesota Department of Health website.
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Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), operator of the metro-area wastewater collection and treatment system, is making improvements to aging and deteriorating regional sanitary sewer facilities that serve homes and businesses in the city of Brooklyn Park. The two project sites are located in Brooklyn Park on Mississippi Lane and Riverview Lane. At each site, we will rehabilitate or replace the regional sanitary sewer pipe and maintenance holes.
- Riverview Lane Site: The Riverview Lane site is located on 88th Avenue, West River Road, and Riverview Lane, between 88th Avenue and 83rd Avenue. Work will include installing a liner inside the existing MCES sewer pipe using a process called cured-in-place pipe (CIPP). Construction crews will also replace maintenance holes and install local city sanitary sewer pipe. Construction is expected to take about 12 months between spring 2020 and spring 2021. Restoration will follow in summer 2021.
- Mississippi Lane Site: The Mississippi Lane site is located on Riverview Lane, 81st Avenue, and Mississippi Lane between 83rd Avenue and Brookdale Drive. Work will include excavating in order to remove and replace the wastewater sewer pipe, maintenance holes, part of the city water main, and local city sewer pipe. Construction is expected to take about 12 months between winter 2019-2020 and spring 2021. Restoration will follow in summer 2021.
While we do our best to minimize impacts during construction, some temporary inconveniences may occur as work takes place. Here is what to expect:
- Mississippi Lane and Riverview Lane will be closed to through traffic during construction. Designated detours will be posted. Access will be maintained for all residents on both sites.
- Temporary, one-day driveway closures and traffic impacts when temporary wastewater conveyance pipes are installed and removed from under driveways on 89th Avenue and Brookdale Drive and under the road at 81st Avenue and 85th Avenue near Highway 252.
- Part of Jewell Park will be closed during construction. The playground, park building, and parking lot will remain open.
- Temporary mailbox relocation for some residents.
- Temporary water and wastewater service disruption for some residences along both sites. Residents will be notified in advance of any service disruption.
- Noise, vibrations, lights, and odors associated with wastewater pipe access and the cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining process. Some of this work will occur overnight. (Keep water in all drain traps to help contain odors in the pipes.)
- Restoration of any disturbed road surface and landscape after construction is complete.
Road closures on the Mississippi Lane and Riverview Lane sites are in place and will continue throughout the project. Access will be provided for local traffic only. See the maps below for closure details.
Mississippi Lane Closure and Detour Map (PDF)
Riverview Lane Closure and Detour Map (PDF)
Join the project team for regular outdoor pop-up meetings on the second and fourth Monday of each month from 4-5 p.m. in the River Park Pavilion near the 83rd Avenue entrance. Our team will be available to answer questions and provide information on the project, schedule, and construction impacts.
For the safety of neighbors and our project team, attendees are required to wear a mask and practice physical distancing with neighbors and MCES staff. Additionally, we have provided a virtual sign-in and comment form below to avoid sharing pens and paper. Please fill out these forms when you attend the weekly pop-up meetings so we can track participation and comments.
MCES has developed three short videos to help explain why projects like this are necessary, what smells you may experience during the project, and how we will return the project sites to how they were before or better during the restoration phase.
“This Old Pipe”
The sewer pipes right under our feet are an important part of our wastewater infrastructure, but they are getting old and need repair. MCES has a strategic plan to fix aging sewer pipes to keep the region’s wastewater flowing and neighborhoods safe.
“What’s That Smell?”
As wastewater crews fix our pipes from the inside, you might smell - well, poop. Another smell you might notice is a little bit like glue. These smells are normal, and they can escape during repair. Our crews will monitor odors to meet air quality standards and we’ll do our best to reduce them during construction.
“Operation: Restoration”
MCES is committed to being a good neighbor and restoring our sewer construction sites back to how they were before, or better. We may need to remove or relocate trees and shrubs or wait for the right season to complete work like planting grass, but our on-site staff will be there to help!