With a little cooperation from Mother Nature, Fourth Street Northwest could be open to 19th Avenue by Labor Day weekend.

Work to replace County Road 45 is moving forward with a string of good weather, and County Engineer Mike Hanson said crews will be laying gravel this week and that pavement on the phase one of the project could switch to the second phase by the holiday weekend.

“We’re pretty excited that we’re getting phase one done now and looking forward to moving north in the project,” Hanson said.

The busy street has been closed from up to 19th Avenue in recent weeks, meaning drivers have had to find alternate routes on the northwest side of town.

The second phase of the project shifts work north from 19th Avenue to 23rd Avenue and reopens the road to traffic. Hanson said two way traffic will be maintained all the way to Highway 218 for the remainder of the project after the first phase.

There are no detours set up for the project, but drivers are recommended to avoid the construction area when possible.

The project is slated to be completed this fall, except for a final layer of blacktop that will go down next spring. The road will be fully marked for the winter.