Clay Lexen
Assistant Traffic
Engineer

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

Traffic on 34th Street in eastern Moorhead faces several more weeks of detours, but – says Moorhead assistant transportation engineer Clay Lexen – the end is in sight.

The closure of the heavily traveled street from Fourth Avenue South to Third Avenue North, except for the Highway 10 crossing, has disrupted commutes and shopping trips since July 10.

Steady progress has been made on the southern portion. The reconstructed 34th Street/Fourth Avenue intersection reopened several weeks ago. “Getting it open before school started this week was our priority,” Lexen notes, “and we made it with time to spare.”

Still to come is a new, permanent traffic signal at that corner.

Work crews are now focused on the approach panels on either end of the BNSF overpass. Lexen says that settling problems under the two areas has caused issues over the 27 years since the route was completed. The city decided to replace the entire panels this time, he says, instead of only the fill underneath: “Our heavy clay soil is tough to work with sometimes.”

The three blocks of 34th Street from U.S. 10 to Third Avenue North haven’t required the complete closure that has rerouted traffic to the south. Instead, one lane has been kept open in each direction while grading and utility work is completed and new pavement is poured. The north side, too, will be getting a new traffic monitoring system and signal lights where it meets Highway 10.

Lexen says that portion of the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year, though some small elements may be pushed to Spring 2026.

Total cost of the rehab and reconstruction is estimated at $7.3 million. Moorhead is partnering with Dilworth on the project, along with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Some federal funding has also been secured.