36th Avenue rehabilitation set to get underway next year

The 36th Avenue Rehabilitation Project will impact Robbinsdale Armstrong High School and Plymouth Middle School. The city of Plymouth is making plans to improve the street in 2025.

The section of 36th Avenue between Kilmer Lane and Zachary Lane is scheduled for improvements due to pavement age and underlying condition. The project will involve removing (reclaiming) existing pavement and paving a new roadway surface.

Proposed improvements also include:

• Shifting the Kilmer Lane intersection west to align with Lancaster Lane with the addition of a traffic signal at the intersection.

• Shifting the 10’ Basset Creek Regional trail to the south side of the roadway from Hwy 169 to Zachary Lane/East Medicine Lake Boulevard. A local 8’ trail will remain on the north side.

• Modifying the roadway from Pilgrim Lane to Lancaster Lane to a three-lane section to create left turn lanes and adding medians to guide traffic to middle school accesses.

• Installation of flashing pedestrian beacons and median refuges at Armstrong High School and Plymouth Middle School crossings.

Bolton & Menk and the city of Plymouth came to the Robbinsdale Area Schools Board of Directors with cost estimations based on historical contractor pricing.

The city of Plymouth will pay an estimated $4.5 million for roadway, local trails and sidewalks, utilities and drainage, signal and pedestrian crossings.

The Three Rivers Park District will pay an estimated $1.5 million for regional trail and associated retaining walls and impacts.

The school district will need to pay some money for a finance assessment. The district can also choose to improve the Plymouth Middle School parking situation at this time.

Three possible choices were placed in front of the school board:

1) $91,700 paid each year for ten years beginning fiscal year 2026. This plan includes site improvement and finance assessment.

2) $755,000 paid once in fiscal year 2026. This plan includes site improvement and finance assessment.

3) $110,000 paid once in fiscal year 2026. This plan includes just finance assessment.

Depending on bids, prices might come in lower or higher.

Director Greta Evans-Becker moved to approve option two. Director Helen Bassett asked if they could take out the “$755,000” amount, since this was an estimated cost. Other directors agreed to the amendment.

In a roll call vote, directors unanimously chose this option at the March 4 business meeting.

To learn more about the project, visit plymouthmn.gov.