City workers concluded road work at the corner of Elm and Minnesota streets Tuesday, removing the last of the traffic cones and turning off the flashing detour sign. Carriage Green Estates residents threw a party to celebrate.

Lenn Naughton, property manager, and 40 people packed into the community center to celebrate after an impromptu outdoor ribbon cutting to unofficially open the street.

"We used yellow traffic tape," Naughton said from party central.

The south apron of the intersection was closed on April 20 to replace a sewer line. Drivers from the 96 units at Carriage Green and a housing development to the south apartment area had to detour to alternate routes about two blocks east of the intersection, circling around to the south of the complex.

"We haven't been able to drive on Elm for months. We had to drive through a residential area of Feldview and Derby. That's the road between Kirk's Funeral Home and Sommerset Court, a retirement center," Naughton said.

She said that a lot of delivery people, first-time visitors and services personnel could see the complex, but had to struggle to follow the detours.

"They had a difficult time getting to us," Naughton said.

Resident Mary Ann Benson said as soon as Naughton learned the street would open Tuesday morning, she alerted the residents and put together a reception celebration.

"We're having a nice reception. We had to do it because we've been without a real driveway for 3-1/2 months," she said.

Benson wasn't the only one at Carriage Green Estates who thought it took a long time to make the repairs.

"But we survived," she said with a laugh.

"We're pretty excited," Naughton added.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.