MANKATO — A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned 8 a.m. Oct. 28, on the day Riverfront Drive will again be fully open to traffic, according to the city of Mankato.
Construction crews will begin taking down barriers following the ceremony; however, the removal may not be completed for several hours.
Traffic lights will be continually flashing red for several days after the street opens. The final phase of the reconstruction project is expected to be completed by Nov. 1.
The $9.6 million project created wider sidewalks by reducing the number of traffic lanes and improved pedestrian safety at crosswalks. The two-thirds-of-a-mile reconstruction project also replaced storm sewers and water mains. Years of planning and engagement with business owners and the community was necessary.
“The Riverfront Drive project demonstrates what we can accomplish when we work together to make these major improvements in our community,” said City Manager Susan Arntz in the press release.