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November 21 Task Force Meeting <br /> November 14,2002 <br /> • Page 5 <br /> current channel, the water carves out a new channel. Traffic will find the most convenient route between <br /> two points, even if it moves through local streets and neighborhoods. <br /> The evolution of the Highway 169 corridor plays a significant role in planning for future development. <br /> From a local perspective, Highway 169 serves two different functions. It is a major transportation corridor, <br /> moving traffic out of and through Elk River. The Highway also serves a purely local function.tion. Highway <br /> Y <br /> 169 provides access to commercial districts and School Street for many neighborhoods. The dilemma for <br /> Elk River is that the transportation corridor role that will guide the use of the roadway. <br /> The TH 101/TH 169 Corridor Management Plan calls for the upgrading of 169 to a four-lane freeway <br /> design from I-94 in Rogers to 197th Avenue in Elk River. The length of the freeway corridor may be <br /> extended to Zimmerman to address the high crash rate at CSAH 4. In this design, Elk River will access <br /> 169 from five interchanges: <br /> • Highway 10 <br /> • Main Street <br /> • Jackson/197`h Avenue <br /> • County Road 33 <br /> • 221"Avenue <br /> All other access points will be closed. Additional frontage roads will be built. An overpass will be built at <br /> • School Street. <br /> The map on the next page illustrates the transportation challenges facing Elk River. The growth area in <br /> east Elk River is under served by a supporting street system. The only collector/arterial streets in this area <br /> are County Road 40 and CSAH 12. Both of these streets funnel traffic into the Main Street/169 <br /> intersection. The only viable north-south route is Twin Lakes Road linking with Highway 10 at 173`d <br /> Avenue and 171'Avenue. <br /> The focus on Main Street is compounded by the lack of an alternative east/west route across 169. The <br /> intersections at School Street, Jackson and 197th Avenue all connect to local streets leading into residential <br /> neighborhoods. <br /> The future growth in east Elk River and the progression of MNDOT's improvements to 169 compound the <br /> impacts on local neighborhoods. The Main Street intersection will become increasingly congested. <br /> Avoiding this intersection will create more cut-through traffic in adjacent neighborhoods. <br /> • <br />