Show All Answers

1. Add or change street signs or traffic control

The City receives many requests each year to add or change
streets signs or traffic control at intersections or along street segments
within the City. These requests include:

• Changing yield signs to stop signs
• Changing two-way stop control to four-way stop control
• Changing speed limits
• Adding handicap stalls to on-street parking areas or city parking lots or ramps
• Adding time restrictions to on-street parking stalls (such as 15 minute parking or 2 hour parking)
• Restricting parking on one or both sides of the street

When we receive these requests, we do some research and
present them to a group of city staff from many city departments. For those
requests that are deemed reasonable by city staff, staff will bring the item
before City Council for approval. If you have a request involving any of these
items, please contact the City Engineering Department at 651-385-3674. 

Engineering Department webpage

2. Apply for a new address

For addresses within the City of Red Wing, the City Engineering Department handles all addressing-related issues. If you are wanting to apply for an address for a new building, a split of an existing building, suites within a building, or any other type of address, please contact the City Engineering Department at 651.385.3674.

Please note that the US Postal Service and Goodhue County are not authorized to assign addresses within the City of Red Wing. When an address is assigned by the City, the US Postal Service and Goodhue County will be notified, and your property information will be updated in their systems at that time.

Engineering Department webpage

3. Apply for a utility permit

If you are a utility company (for example, Xcel Energy, CenturyLink, HBC, Charter Communications, or another utility) wishing to do work within the city right of way, you will need to fill out a Utility Permit. This permit can be found at the Permits and Licensing page. The fee for a utility permit is $100 for mainline work or $0 for service work from the main lines to a house, business, or other building. Utility permits are required for work on service work within city right of way even though the permit fee is free.

If you are a property owner, business owner, or resident wishing to do work in city right of way, you do not need to submit a Utility Permit. Instead, you need to fill out an Application for Work in City Right of Way, which can be found on the Permits & Licensing page.

Engineering Department webpage

4. Find upcoming projects

Thanks for your interest in projects within the City of Red
Wing! The City Engineering Department is responsible for planning, designing,
and inspecting street construction, reconstruction, and maintenance projects
within the city. The following sections describe some ways to find out what
projects are upcoming within the City of Red Wing.

New Street Construction Projects

Currently, there are no new street construction projects scheduled for construction within the next 5 years. This may change as new subdivisions are added to the city or missing roadway connections are petitioned for by property owners.

Street Reconstruction Projects

In order to adequately plan and prepare for street maintenance and reconstruction projects, the City Engineering Department maintains a 5-Year Street Reconstruction Plan. This 5-Year Street Reconstruction Plan corresponds to the current 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan approved by the City Council each year during the annual budgeting process.

There are a few things you should know as you look at the 5-Year Street Reconstruction Plan map:

• Projects shown in the first year or two of the plan are more likely to occur than projects in the final 3 years of the plan.
• Projects may be modified (lengthened, shortened, eliminated) from what is shown due to budgetary considerations, scheduling conflicts with other projects, staff workload, high/low bid prices, and other factors.
• This map does not show maintenance projects, such as Mill & Overlay, Full Depth Reclamation, or Seal Coat projects.

The City''s Transportation Plan (PDF), a part of the Red Wing 2040 Comprehensive Plan process, includes longer-range planning of street reconstruction projects.

Please contact the City Engineering Department if you have any questions regarding an upcoming project or want to suggest moving a project up or down on our plan.

Street Maintenance Projects

The City of Red Wing currently utilizes three types of street maintenance projects to keep our streets lasting as long as possible before needing reconstruction. Those types of projects are Mill & Overlay projects, Full Depth Reclamation projects, and Seal Coat projects. 

The City's Transportation Plan (PDF), a part of the Red Wing 2040 Comprehensive Plan process, includes longer-range planning of street maintenance projects. 

Please contact the City Engineering Department if you have any questions regarding an upcoming project or want to suggest moving a project up or down on our plan.

Other City Street and Utility Projects

The City also undertakes a number of smaller projects each year to replace deficient utilities, curb/gutter, pavement, and other things. Many of these projects are either emergency projects or so small that they are not budgeted for as standalone projects. If you have any questions about projects not otherwise listed in the links in this section or have suggestions for other small projects, please contact the City Public Works Department at 651.385.3674.

Engineering Department webpage

5. Replace my driveway apron

If you’re looking at replacing your driveway apron (the part of your driveway that meets the curb or street pavement), there are a few things that you’ll need to know before doing the work.

1. Submit an Application for Work in City Right of Way form. This form, which can be found on the Permits & Licensing page, needs to be filled out before any work begins on your project. There is no cost to submit the application.
2. Be familiar with city construction standards. You can find these standards on the City Engineering Department webpage. You must follow these standards when constructing a driveway apron on city property, even if the driveway apron you are replacing didn’t meet these standards and even if your neighbor’s driveway aprons don’t meet these standards. The City Engineering Department would be happy to answer any questions regarding these standards, and we are willing to stop out to your property to talk through your specific project with you.
3. Arrange for a form inspection at least 24 hours in advance of pouring the driveway apron. Please call the Engineering Department at 651.385.3674 to arrange an inspection. We request at least 24 hours’ notice to ensure that we can have an inspector available to do the inspection before you pour the concrete.
4. Correct any deficiencies noted by the inspector prior to pouring the driveway apron. This may require another inspection to confirm that everything is formed up correctly.
5. Pour your concrete!

If we find that a driveway apron within our right of way is installed incorrectly, was installed without a submitted Application for Work in City Right of Way, or was installed without proper inspection, you will be responsible for replacing the driveway apron to the correct standards at your cost. The City reserves the right to decline future Application for Work in City Right of Way applications to property owners and/or contractors if sidewalks are installed incorrectly and have not been corrected to the satisfaction of the City.

We at the City Engineering Department want to help as much as we can to get your driveway apron replaced correctly, so please contact us at 651.385.3674 if you would like our help!

Engineering Department webpage

6. Replace my sidewalk

If you’re looking at replacing sidewalk within the city
right of way, there are a few things that you’ll need to know before doing the
work. 

Confirm that the sidewalk you’re replacing is
within the city right of way.

Generally, sidewalk parallel to the street and sidewalk meeting the curb is within city right of way. If you have questions as to exactly what might be within city right of way, the Goodhue County online parcel viewer is a good place to start. The parcel viewer isn’t always completely accurate, so please get in contact with the City Engineering Department if you need further assistance. If the sidewalk that you’re replacing is on private property, you will not need to follow the remaining steps on the list, but you need to contact the Building Inspections department at 651.385.3623 to determine whether you will need any additional permits from them for the work that you are proposing to do.

If the sidewalk is within city right of way, follow these steps.

1.  The Application for Work in City Right of Way, which can be found on the Permits & Licensing page, needs to be filled out before any work begins on your project. There is no cost to submit the application.
2. Be familiar with city construction standards. You can find these standards on the City Engineering Department website. You must follow these standards when constructing sidewalk on city property, even if the sidewalk you are replacing didn’t meet these standards and even if your neighbor’s sidewalk didn’t meet these standards. The City Engineering Department would be happy to answer any questions regarding these standards, and we are willing to stop out to your property to talk through your specific project with you.
3. Arrange for a form inspection at least 24 hours in advance of pouring sidewalk. Please call the Engineering Department at 651.385.3674 to arrange an inspection. We request at least 24 hours’ notice to ensure that we can have an inspector available to do the inspection before you pour the concrete.
4. Correct any deficiencies noted by the inspector prior to pouring sidewalk. This may require another inspection to confirm that everything is formed up correctly.
5. Pour your concrete!

If we find that sidewalk within our right of way is installed incorrectly, was installed without a submitted Application for Work in City Right of Way, or was installed without proper inspection, you will be responsible for replacing the sidewalk to the correct standards at your cost. The City reserves the right to decline future Application for Work in City Right of Way applications to property owners and/or contractors if sidewalks are installed incorrectly and have not been corrected to the satisfaction of the City.

We at the City Engineering Department want to help as much as we can to get your sidewalk replaced correctly, so please contact us at 651.385.3674 if you would like our help!

7. Report a roadway safety issue

The City values the safety and input of its citizens,
business owners, and visitors. If you have a safety issue, please contact us
according to the following list:

• For any emergency, proceed to a safe location and call 911.
• If a traffic signal/stoplight is out, please contact the Red Wing Police Department/Goodhue County Sheriff Dispatch at 651.385.3155.
• For potholes, concerns regarding curbs, and concerns with street trees, please contact the City Public Works Department at 651.385.3674.
• For drainage problems, please contact the City Engineering Department at 651.385.3674. If these problems are causing ice issues on a sidewalk or street, please contact the City Public Works Department at 651.385.3674.
• For sidewalk and pedestrian crosswalk safety concerns, please contact the City Engineering Department at 651.385.3674.
• For intersection safety issues, please contact the City Engineering Department at 651.385.3674.
• For any other safety issues not otherwise covered in this list, please contact the City Engineering Department at 651.385.3674.

Engineering Department webpage

8. Submit an Application for Work in City Right of Way

1.  This form, which can be found on the Permits & Licensing page , needs to be filled out before any work begins on your project. There is no cost to submit the application.
2. Be familiar with city construction standards. You can find these standards on the City Engineering Department website. You must follow these standards when constructing sidewalk on city property, even if the sidewalk you are replacing didn’t meet these standards and even if your neighbor’s sidewalk didn’t meet these standards. The City Engineering Department would be happy to answer any questions regarding these standards, and we are willing to stop out to your property to talk through your specific project with you.
3. Arrange for a form inspection at least 24 hours in advance of pouring sidewalk. Please call the Engineering Department at 651.385.3674 to arrange an inspection. We request at least 24 hours’ notice to ensure that we can have an inspector available to do the inspection before you pour the concrete.
4. Correct any deficiencies noted by the inspector prior to pouring sidewalk. This may require another inspection to confirm that everything is formed up correctly.
5. Pour your concrete!

If we find that sidewalk within our right of way is installed incorrectly, was installed without a submitted Application for Work in City Right of Way, or was installed without proper inspection, you will be responsible for replacing the sidewalk to the correct standards at your cost. The City reserves the right to decline future Application for Work in City Right of Way applications to property owners and/or contractors if sidewalks are installed incorrectly and have not been corrected to the satisfaction of the City.

We at the City Engineering Department want to help as much as we can to get your sidewalk replaced correctly, so please contact us at 651.385.3674 if you would like our help!

Engineering Department webpage

Show All Answers

1. What is a full depth reclamation (FDR)?

An FDR consists of removing all of the pavement on a street, correcting any poor soils below the pavement, and replacing with new pavement. This process usually happens in 7 steps as shown below.

• Step 1: Remove the old pavement (reclaiming)
  • During this step, the entire depth of the pavement is ground up by a reclaiming machine. The ground up pavement is either graded and left on the street as new base material or is trucked back to the pavement plant to be recycled and used in future pavement. It generally takes a few hours to complete the reclaiming process (grinding up the pavement and grading the temporary driving surface) unless the street is very wide and/or a long segment of the street is being milled.
  • Generally, the street will remain open to traffic during the reclaiming process, but a flagging crew may be directing traffic around the construction operations. The street surface is safe to drive on when the grading of the reclaimed surface is complete. The finished reclaimed surface will resemble a gravel road but will be made of ground-up pavement instead of gravel.
• Step 2: Replace curbs and drainage inlets that need replacement
  • After the reclaiming process is complete, the city's Public Works Department crews will replace any curbs that have sunk over time and are collecting water and/or any drainage inlets that are damaged or disintegrating. Replacing a drainage inlet takes up to a day to complete, and any concrete curb replacement takes about a week to cure before new pavement can be put down next to it. The street will be open during this work, but parking may be limited to allow for work crews to access the replacement sites.
• Step 3: Replace any affected pedestrian curb ramps with ADA-compliant ramps
  • Due to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the City's ADA Transition Plan, all non-compliant pedestrian ramps that connect to a crosswalk that is affected by a Mill and Overlay project will be replaced with ramps that meet ADA requirements. Generally, pedestrian access to these ramps will be limited for a few days to remove the old ramp, regrade the ramp area, pour a new ramp, and let the concrete harden enough to walk on again. The streets will be open during this work, but flaggers or other traffic control may be present while the ramp construction is occurring.
• Step 4: Regrade the roadway base
  • A day or two before the first layer of pavement is put down, the roadway base will be regraded to the elevation needed to support the new pavement. The streets will be open during this work, but flaggers or other traffic control may be present while the grading work is occurring.
• Step 5: Pave the first layer of pavement
  • The first layer of pavement (about 1 ½" of pavement) will be put down on the graded base layer. The paving machine will be followed closely behind by a few rollers to compact the new pavement to provide a solid surface to drive on.
  • You won't be able to drive on the new pavement until the crews are done rolling the pavement, which can take a half-hour or so from the time the paver goes by. Flaggers will direct traffic around the paving operation until the rollers are finished working on the pavement.
• Step 6: Adjust manhole covers
  • All manhole covers will be adjusted to match the final pavement surface. We will also replace the adjustment rings on all manhole structures. You will probably notice that the manhole covers will be sticking out of the ground at this time. That is on purpose because the manhole covers need to match the final pavement surface, which is about 1 ½" above the first layer of pavement. The streets are generally open to traffic during the adjusting operations, but flaggers or other traffic control may be needed during the adjustment construction activities.
• Step 7: Pave the second layer of pavement
  • The final step of an FDR project is to actually pave the new street surface! Before the new pavement is put down, a layer of glue (called "tack") is applied to the street surface to stick the new pavement to the old pavement. It is ok to drive on the tacked street before paving, but please drive slowly to avoid any splatter of the tack on your car. It is really hard to remove tack from the outside of your car once it gets on there!
  • The paving machine follows a few minutes behind the tack truck and lays down a fresh batch of pavement. Rollers follow closely behind to compact the new pavement to provide a solid surface to drive on.
  • You won't be able to drive on the new pavement until the crews are done rolling the pavement, which can take a half-hour or so from the time the paver goes by. Flaggers will direct traffic around the paving operation until the rollers are finished working on the pavement.

2. Can I get in and out of my driveway while they are reclaiming or paving?

Generally, you will be able to get in and out of your driveway at all times except for the following times:

• Between when the reclaiming machine goes by your driveway and the grader smooths out the reclaimed surface (can be up to a couple hours of delay)
• If there is curb being replaced in front of your driveway, you may not be able to access your driveway for up to a week. This is a very rare occurrence, however, and we will let you know if you are affected by this work.
• During the first and second paving operations, you will not have access to your driveway from the time the paver goes by your driveway until the rollers are finished compacting the new pavement. This process usually takes about a half-hour or so.

3. Why does the city do FDR projects?

FDR projects are one component of the city's comprehensive pavement management program. Pavement surfaces tend to wear out much faster than the other components of a street (such as curbs, sidewalks, and utilities) due to the impacts of heavy vehicles. FDR projects are generally reserved for when a pavement surface degrades to the point where a less costly maintenance project (such as a mill and overlay or a chip seal) will not be effective in preserving the pavement.

4. Why not do these projects more often?

Unfortunately, due to the amount of paving work associated with FDR projects (about 3 times the amount of pavement material as a mill and overlay) FDR projects are much more costly than other types of maintenance projects. Due to the costs of FDR projects, they are generally reserved only for pavement surfaces that are too deteriorated for a Mill and Overlay or a chip seal to be effective.

5. What types of streets are good candidates for FDR projects?

Generally, FDR projects are considered when “alligator” cracking starts showing up, major potholes are consistently forming, and / or the edges of the pavement surface are flaking off. These are signs that the entire depth of the pavement surface is reaching its limit.

6. How is parking affected by FDR projects?

Parking will be limited at times during an FDR project so that the contractor can complete the work effectively. "No Parking" signs will be posted at least 48 hours in advance of parking restrictions going into effect. When the parking restrictions are in effect, vehicles still parked in the construction area may be subjected to ticketing and / or towing. We will try to contact the vehicle owner(s) if we find any vehicles still parked on the street during parking restrictions.

Parking restrictions may be posted for the following work:

• Reclaiming operations (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days)
• Curb or drainage inlet replacement work (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days)
• Manhole cover adjustments (parking restrictions only needed when there is not enough street width for cars to go through with a parked car on the street)
• Paving work (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days for each layer of pavement)

7. How are FDR projects paid for, and am I assessed for them?

FDR projects in the City of Red Wing are usually paid for using dedicated street maintenance funding from city property taxes. For certain higher-volume streets, State Aid funding from the State of Minnesota is used to supplement the regular maintenance funding.

The City of Red Wing currently does not assess for FDR or other pavement surface maintenance projects.

8. Where and when is the city planning FDR projects?

The city generally has an FDR project of varying size and scope every other year (or more frequently depending on the need). Typically, city staff meets in the fall of each year to review pavement management data and budget information and take "field trips" to look at each candidate street. The city usually only plans these projects a year or two in advance, but sometimes with bigger FDR projects the city will plan 3 years or more in the future in order to secure the needed funding to complete the projects.

9. How are seal coat projects paid for and am I assessed for them?

Seal Coat projects in the City of Red Wing are usually paid for using dedicated street maintenance funding from city property taxes. For certain higher-volume streets, State Aid funding from the State of Minnesota is used to supplement the regular maintenance funding.

The City of Red Wing currently does not assess for Seal Coat or other pavement surface maintenance projects.

10. Where and when is the city planning seal coat projects?

Seal coating is relatively new to the City of Red Wing although it has been utilized in other communities for many years. 2018 is the first year in at least 20 years that the city has used Seal Coating on our streets. Because of how new Seal Coating is to the city, we are currently evaluating the effectiveness and construction process for seal coats to determine how widely used seal coats will be in the city. At this time, we anticipate having an annual seal coat project each year for the foreseeable future depending on the results of the 2018 project.

Because Seal Coats are more effective as preventative maintenance, seal coat projects are generally scheduled prior to observable issues on the pavement surface. If the 2018 Seal Coat project is successful, the city will be developing a comprehensive Seal Coat program for future years. At this time, however, the city does not have any specific projects in development beyond 2018.

Show All Answers

1. What is a mill and overlay?

A mill and overlay consists of removing the top layer of pavement, usually 1 to 2," and replacing with new pavement. This process usually happens in 5 steps as follows:

• Step 1: Remove the old pavement (milling)
  • During this step, the top layer of pavement (1-2") is ground off the road by a milling machine. The ground off pavement "millings" are trucked back to the pavement plant to be recycled and used in future pavement. It generally takes only an hour or two to complete the milling process unless the street is very wide and/or a long segment of the street is being milled.
  • Generally, the street will remain open to traffic during the milling process, but a flagging crew may be directing traffic around the construction operations. The street surface is safe to drive on when the milling process is complete, but you will probably notice that the pavement surface is much rougher than before.
• Step 2: Replace curbs and drainage inlets that need replacement
  • After the milling process is complete, the city's Public Works Department crews will replace any curbs that have sunk over time and are collecting water and/or any drainage inlets that are damaged or disintegrating. Replacing a drainage inlet takes up to a day to complete, and any concrete curb replacement takes about a week to cure before new pavement can be put down next to it. The street will be open during this work, but parking may be limited to allow for work crews to access the replacement sites.
• Step 3: Replace any affected pedestrian curb ramps with ADA-compliant ramps
  • Due to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the City's ADA Transition Plan, all non-compliant pedestrian ramps that connect to a crosswalk that is affected by a Mill and Overlay project will be replaced with ramps that meet ADA requirements. Generally, pedestrian access to these ramps will be limited for a few days to remove the old ramp, regrade the ramp area, pour a new ramp, and let the concrete harden enough to walk on again. The streets will be open during this work, but flaggers or other traffic control may be present while the ramp construction is occurring.
• Step 4: Adjust manhole covers
  • Manhole covers that are too far below the pavement surface will be adjusted higher to match the new pavement surface. We will also replace the adjustment rings on manhole structures if they are falling apart. You will probably notice that the manhole covers will be sticking out of the ground at this time. That is on purpose because the manhole covers need to match the final pavement surface, which is about 1-2" above the temporary (milled) surface. The streets are generally open to traffic during the adjusting operations, but flaggers or other traffic control may be needed during the adjustment construction activities.
• Step 5: Replace the pavement (overlay)
  • The final step of a Mill and Overlay project is to actually pave the new street surface! Before the new pavement is put down, a layer of glue (called "tack") is applied to the street surface to stick the new pavement to the old pavement. It is ok to drive on the tacked street before paving, but please drive slowly to avoid any splatter of the tack on your car. It is really hard to remove tack from the outside of your car once it gets on there!
  • The paving machine follows a few minutes behind the tack truck and lays down a fresh batch of pavement. Rollers follow closely behind to compact the new pavement to provide a solid surface to drive on.
  • You won't be able to drive on the new pavement until the crews are done rolling the pavement, which can take a half-hour or so from the time the paver goes by. Flaggers will direct traffic around the paving operation until the rollers are finished working on the pavement.

2. When can I drive on the new pavement?

You can drive on the new pavement once it is finished being rolled, which usually takes about a half hour or so from the time the paver puts the fresh pavement on the road. Flaggers will be directing traffic when you are prohibited from driving on the new pavement, please keep your eyes open for them.

3. Can I get in and out of my driveway while they are milling or paving?

Generally, you will be able to get in and out of your driveway at all times except for the following times:

• While the milling machine is going by your driveway (about 10 minutes of delay)
• If there is curb being replaced in front of your driveway, you may not be able to access your driveway for up to a week. This is a very rare occurrence, however, and we will let you know if you are affected by this work.
• During the paving operation, you will not have access to your driveway from the time the paver goes by your driveway until the rollers are finished compacting the new pavement. This process usually takes about a half-hour or so.
  
  
  

4. Why does the city do mill and overlay projects?

Mill and Overlay projects are one component of the city's comprehensive pavement management program. Pavement surfaces tend to wear out much faster than the other components of a street (such as curbs, sidewalks, and utilities) due to the impacts of heavy vehicles. If a pavement surface is not maintained adequately, the pavement will need much more significant and costly repairs in a short amount of time to avoid deterioration of the roadway surface.

5. Why do some cracks show up again soon after a mill and overlay?

Unfortunately, mill and overlay projects only address the surface of the pavement. If a pavement has cracks which extend down further than the top 1 to 2 inches of the pavement surface, those cracks tend to show up again after the new pavement is put down. These cracks are called "reflective" cracks and are common after mill and overlay projects. When these cracks appear, we will seal up the cracks so that they do not keep growing and ruin the new pavement.

6. Can you mill and overlay any street?

Theoretically yes, but sometimes it is not a good idea to mill and overlay a street. When a street starts showing "alligator" cracking (lots of cracking in the street that looks like alligator scales), that pavement surface is usually too far gone for a mill and overlay to be effective. Also, all of those "alligator" cracks will come back through to the top of the pavement surface after the project is done, and then the mill and overlay project will have been a waste of money. At that point, a Full Depth Reclamation project is probably a better solution for that street.

Sometimes a mill and overlay project is a bigger investment than is necessary to preserve the pavement surface. In those cases, a Chip Seal may be a better choice to preserve the pavement surface at a lower cost.

7. How is parking affected by mill and overlay projects?

Parking will be limited at times during a mill and overlay project so that the contractor can complete the work effectively. "No Parking" signs will be posted at least 48 hours in advance of when parking restrictions will go into effect. When the parking restrictions are in effect, vehicles still parked in the construction area may be subjected to ticketing and/or towing. We will try to contact the vehicle owner(s) if we find any vehicles still parked on the street during parking restrictions.

Parking restrictions may be posted for the following work:

• Curb or drainage inlet replacement work (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days)
• Manhole cover adjustments (parking restrictions only needed when there is not enough street width for cars to go through with a parked car on the street)
• Paving work (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days)
  Milling operations (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days)

8. How are mill and overlay projects paid for, and am I assessed for them?

Mill and overlay projects in the City of Red Wing are usually paid for using dedicated street maintenance funding from city property taxes. For certain higher-volume streets, State Aid funding from the State of Minnesota is used to supplement the regular maintenance funding.

The City of Red Wing currently does not assess for Mill and Overlay or other pavement surface maintenance projects.

9. Where and when is the city panning

The city generally has a Mill and Overlay project of varying size and scope each year. Typically, city staff meets in the fall of each year to review pavement management data and budget information and take "field trips" to look at each candidate street. The city usually only plans these projects a year in advance, but sometimes with bigger Mill and Overlay projects the city will plan 2 years or more in the future in order to secure the needed funding to complete the projects.