SE Main Ave./20th/21st St. Grade Separation

In the largest transportation construction project to date for the City of Moorhead, Minnesota, Ames built an underpass that eliminated an intersection of two railroad lines with two arterial city streets. The two arterial city streets now pass under three railroad bridges, and new retaining walls support the residential and commercial properties along the perimeter of the project’s excavation.

To accommodate the underpass design, Ames altered or installed several city utilities, streets, and a substantial stormwater lift station. Crews then built the railroad bridges and placed the sub-ballast for the railroad track in preparation for track placement.

The project included approximately a mile of road reconstruction to realign the streets intersecting beneath the bridges. The resulting underpass reduces congestion and improves safety for motor vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, emergency responders, and students at the adjacent Moorhead High School.

The project was named 2022 Public Works Project of the Year by the Minnesota Chapter of the American Public Works Association.