Center Ave and 11 St are expected to open to traffic by early evening on Thursday, October 15!
The City, along with MnDOT are excited to announce the completion of the 11 St Underpass Project! After nearly three years of construction, the area will be open to traffic by early evening on Thursday, October 15.
Crews are finishing up the final striping on the project, doing other cleanup work, and their final walkthroughs. While the road will reopen Thursday night, please continue to watch for workers still on-site in the upcoming weeks who may be taking care of miscellaneous items.
With this underpass, Moorhead eliminates more than 70 train blockages every single day. Over the next 20 years, that means:
- 7 million hours saved from vehicle delays
- 23,000 metric tons less CO₂ released
- 2.5 million gallons of fuel saved
- Projected 258 accidents prevented
- Trains caused an average of 12.6 emergency response delays. This project will help improve response times and make the community safety.
- Pedestrians and cyclists are about to see major improvements too, with 1.8 miles of new or reconstructed trails and a 35% reduction in rail‑related crossing exposure.
Thank you to all the partners, planners, businesses and community members that came together to ensure the safe and successful completion of the project. We look forward to seeing drivers and pedestrians cross through Downtown Moorhead.
About the project
Construction of the 11 St Grade Separation project started in March 2024 and was completed in phases. The project delivers two grade separations of 11 St under the BNSF rail lines, as well as new pavement, improved sidewalks, drainage, utility replacements and signals. The project provides safety and mobility benefits by removing blockages caused by heavy rail traffic.
Ames Construction was awarded the project with a bid of $114.8 million for construction. The overall project cost approximately $171 million, funded primarily through state bonding, and combination of local funds and federal grant.
For more information about this project, visit the project website.