Small Central Corridor project begins today in St. Paul
Downtown St. Paul drivers will get a taste of what construction will be like on the proposed Central Corridor light rail line when work begins Monday.
Xcel crews are beginning a small project at the intersection of 4th and Minnesota in downtown St. Paul to relocate utilities.
The work is in anticipation of more work later this summer to prepare for heavy construction of the line.
Central Corridor light rail project manager Mark Fuhrmann said heavy construction for the 11-mile-long project between downtown St. Paul and Minnesota is expected to begin in about a year.
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"This is pretty isolated in terms of its impact right there at a couple of intersections in downtown, but once we award those big civil construction contracts we'll have multiple crews working at multiple locations along the 11-mile-long alignment," he said.
Fuhrmann said downtown St. Paul residents have been notified about the lane closings that begin today at Fourth Street and Minnesota Street.
Fuhrmann said final federal agreement on funding the $914 million line is expected next year.
Trains are scheduled to start carrying passengers in 2014.