'Botched' repaving of Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis brings complaints

When the reviews came in regarding the newly resurfaced Midtown Greenway, they weren't exactly stellar.

"Joke," said one. "Botched," said another, along with "embarrassing," "crap" and "dangerously bad."

About half the 5.5-mile nationally known bike and pedestrian thoroughfare was resurfaced by Minneapolis this summer, using for the first time a technique called "microsurfacing." It was less expensive than more traditional paving methods.

But the long-planned $500,000 Greenway project has resulted in a pebbly and occasionally fissured surface that's uneven in spots, stretching from the trail's western end to its midsection in south Minneapolis. And the reaction from Greenway supporters and users has been pointed, to say the least.

An online petition calling for the city to "Redo the Repaving" attracted 500 signatures in just 24 hours. The count was close to 1,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

"Overall, the quality is poor. It's a shame," said Soren Jensen, executive director of the Midtown Greenway Coalition, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that launched the petition. "The Midtown Greenway is the most important and beloved trail in the region, maybe even the state. It should have a world-class trail surface."

The petition claims the new surface can impede cyclists, wheelchair users and rollerbladers — and hurt doggy paws, too.

Some cyclists have reportedly taken city streets as an alternative to the Greenway, a less safe option for commuting that seemingly defeats the purpose of a bike highway.

"This is dangerous to the public and a liability issue for the city of Minneapolis," the petition states.

City officials concede the results of the project are disappointing. While the Greenway is owned by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, the city is responsible for maintaining it.

"I expected better," said Don Elwood, Minneapolis' director of transportation, engineering and design. "There are sections on the trail that did not meet our expectations. [But] there were sections on the trail that turned out pretty good."

The initial budget for the project was $1.6 million, which would have paid for mill and overlay paving. But officials opted to try microsurfacing to repave the Greenway from Burnham Trail to 5th Avenue S., a process involving a thin layer of asphalt emulsion blended with crushed stone.

The method, developed by Germany in the late 1960s to fill ruts on its popular autobahns, has long been used by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to repair highways.

Said Minneapolis spokesman Casper Hill: "Public Works will frequently consult with consultants and other agencies, including MnDOT, on projects. For this work we did consult with MnDOT for assistance."

City officials hired Urban Cos., a St. Paul-area general contractor, to oversee the Greenway project. Greg Urban, owner of the firm, said Tuesday that another contractor, Astech Corp. of St. Joseph, Minn., had been retained for the microsurfacing portion of the job. Representatives from Astech could not be reached for comment.

Urban noted that the contractors performed the work requested by the city. "At this point, we're trying to figure out what can be done" to alleviate concerns about the trail, he said.

Elwood said it may be too late in the season to fix the Greenway's issues. "We are working with the contractor to smooth this out," he said. "We will take a look at it next spring to see what can be done."

When asked about the petition, Elwood said the city values public feedback.

"The Midtown Greenway is a fabulous trail. It is a gem for the city and, quite frankly, for the region," he said. "We want it to be cost-effective and at the same time have a great product."

But Elissa Schufman, who chairs the city's Bicycle Advisory Committee, said the goal of the repaving was to improve safety and ride quality.

"It's not living up to expectations," she said, noting that it's important for the city to get this job right: "In some ways, the Greenway sets the standard for other bike paths."

Janet Moore • 612-673-7752

Twitter: @JanetMoore