Downtown Rochester Subway Project to Close 6th Ave Next Spring

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Traveling north or south through downtown Rochester is expected to become even trickier next spring.

Rochester City Council member Shaun Palmer, during his regular monthly appearance on Rochester Today at News Talk 1340 KROC-AM and 96.9 FM, discussed plans for shutting down a section of 6th Avenue on the west side of downtown Rochester for a major project associated with Mayo Clinic's Bold. Forward. Unbound initiative. He says the closure will be needed to construct a new subway system.

According to Palmer, it will be a two level underground transportation system. One level will carry pedestrian traffic and the other will be used to move equipment and supplies between the support center destined to be built at the site of the former Lourdes High School building and the new patient care facility that will be constructed at the current Ozmun Building site.

Palmer says the new subway connection will also be linked to an existing Mayo Clinic subway under 1st Street Southwest adjacent to the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center.

The project will require closing 6th Avenue from north of West Center Street to near the intersection with 2nd Street Southwest. The exact timetable for the closing of the busy north-south route has not been announced.

The City of Rochester has announced some additional obstructions to vehicle and pedestrian traffic in downtown Rochester that will begin next Monday in connection with Mayo Clinic's $5 billion expansion project.

4th Avenue Southwest will be completely closed from 1st Street to 2nd Street and a section of 1st Street Southwest will be closed from 4th Avenue to approximately 150 feet west of the intersection.

A single lane of southbound traffic will be allowed on 4th Avenue Southwest from West Center Street to 1st Street Southwest, where all vehicle traffic will be directed east to 3rd Avenue Southwest and then north on 3rd Avenue.

The designated detour for vehicle traffic 4th Avenue Southwest is Civic Center Drive Northwest to South Broadway and then to 2nd Street Southwest. The bike detour uses 2nd Street Northwest to 1st Avenue Northwest/Southwest to 4th Street Southwest.