Ely Completes $4.2 Million Harvey Street Reconstruction with County Support

The city of Ely and St. Louis County completed a large-scale reconstruction of Harvey Street, the community's main thoroughfare, with total project investment reaching $4.214 million according to a public information release from St. Louis County. The project, years in the making, transformed the corridor from Central Avenue to Ninth Avenue East and extended to adjacent streets, avenues, and alleys.

Underground infrastructure formed the bulk of the work. Sanitary and storm sewer lines and water mains were replaced or improved throughout the corridor. City clerk-treasurer Harold Langowski had previously identified storm sewer realignment from Third Avenue East to Central as the heaviest lift. "The big portion is the storm sewer realignment from Third Avenue East to Central," Langowski said. "We're responsible for the storm sewer. That's something the city will have to pay for." Additional utility work included storm sewer reconstruction on Conan Street between Second and Third Avenue East and a water line replacement near the Ely Steam Bath.

Above ground, the rebuilt street features two 11-foot driving lanes with an 8-foot parking lane on each side. New sidewalks were installed on both the north and south sides of Harvey Street, with the exception of the south side between Seventh and Ninth Avenue East, where no sidewalk previously existed. Curbs, gutters, signage, and dark-sky compliant streetlights round out the surface improvements.

Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation supported the project with a $200,000 Public Works grant to the city of Ely. The Ely Echo had reported an initial project figure of $3.5 million when construction was set to begin in May 2025; the final total investment of $4.214 million reflects the full scope as reported at completion.

St. Louis County Public Works managed the project throughout construction, using the same county crew that had worked on previous Ely infrastructure projects, including the earlier James Street reconstruction. Langowski noted that crews phased the work to account for the school schedule, the Fourth of July, and local festivals. Construction meetings were held every Wednesday morning to keep residents informed, and St. Louis County's engagement website offered email update signups throughout the process.