Road work near Government Center to begin June 27

Beginning Monday, June 27, 2022, work will begin to decommission the steam line under 4th Street SE in Rochester, between the Government Center and the Annex/Work Release building at 104 4th Street SE. The line is part of district energy system west (DESW) that runs for about 1.7 miles from the Olmsted Waste-to-Energy facility (OWEF) to downtown Rochester.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on each side of the road – both east- and west-bound – between the two buildings to accommodate the installation of heating and cooling lines between the Government Center and Annex. Phase two of the road work is expected to begin in late July and will impact the opposite lanes. People in neighboring buildings may experience some noise disturbances during the duration of this work. Road work is expected to be complete in early August 2022.

Background
Since 1987, thermal energy in the form of steam, chilled water, and electricity has been produced, and will continue to be produced, from municipal solid waste from the OWEF and dispersed through the district energy system. DESW provides energy to the Olmsted County Government Center, Olmsted County Work Release Center, Rochester City Hall, Rochester Public Library, Mayo Civic Center, and Rochester Art Center. District energy system east (DESE) serves buildings on and around the county government campus. Olmsted County departments housed in these buildings include, Environmental Resources, Elections, Health, Housing, and Human Services, Veteran Services, among others.

While OWEF continues to perform well and meet its intended goals, the DESW portion of the system has experienced multiple technological and engineering failures, like pipe corrosion and deterioration of the concrete blocks that hold the pipes in place underground. In 2019, it was determined the system was at the end of its life and the county chose to install building-based heating and cooling systems. It’s important to note the OWEF will continue to provide heating and cooling to the DESE and electricity to buildings on and around the county campus and the local electrical grid through the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA).

The project is expected to be complete by the fall of 2023.