ST. CLOUD --  The St. Cloud City Council is expected to give the green light on the next phase of the 33rd Street South improvements Monday. The project will take place on the eastern end of the corridor and should get underway by late May or early June.

This is kind of our third phase of five.  It's the section between Southway Drive and Cooper Avenue.  It'll be a four-lane conversion from the existing roadway, two-lane to a four-lane with a center median, turn lanes and a roundabout at Cooper Avenue.

City Engineer Steve Foss says the work will last for the entire summer and will require detours around the project until it's completed in the fall.

The city council is expected to approve the plans and specifications at Monday's meeting with the bidding process to follow.

The total cost of the project is expected to be about $8.3-million.

Meanwhile, a public hearing will be held later this month to look at possible street improvements near the site of a new Costco store in St. Cloud.

As part of the 33rd Avenue South improvements, sewer and water would be extended along Stearns County Road 74 to near Boulder Ridge Golf Course.  Foss says they have been planning for the sewer and water project for some time, but the announcement of the Costco store has expedited the plans, much like on the south end of County Road 74 near the new Tech High School.

You've got the major improvements on the south end and so, the north end improvements are something that as you fully develop that corridor makes the best use of the high-value frontage.  You'll need these improvements.  The Costco project is certainly affecting the timing.

Some of the proposals for street improvements near Costco include a new traffic light at the entrance to Heritage Park intersection of 33rd Avenue South, and right-in/right-out access points on County Road 75 and 33rd Avenue.

The city council is expected to set a public hearing for February 26th.

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