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<br />. IV. DEFINITION OF HIGHWAY OPTIONS <br />1. BACKGROUND <br /> <br />The highway issues in the TH 10/47 corridor were identified through discussions with the Northstar <br />Corridor Development Authority, PMT, MnlDOT staff and input from the public. To facilitate <br />analysis, the corridor was divided into issue areas (Figure IV-I). <br /> <br />The highway issues throughout the TH WITH 47 corridor between St. Cloud and downtown <br />Minneapolis were summarized as follows: <br /> <br />Transportation Service <br /> <br />. Numerous and closely-spaced access points (intersections, driveways, farm access) <br />. High speed <br />. Congestion east of Elk River <br />. Significant truck traffic <br />. Proximity to active rail corridor <br />. Safety at rail crossings <br /> <br />Environmental Impacts <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. Proximity to river and wetlands <br />· Inadequate right-of-way to expand the corridor in suburban and urban areas <br />· Conflict between rural and urban transportation needs and expectations <br />· Population and development growth spreading to rural areas <br /> <br />The corridor traverses two major metropolitan areas in Minnesota that have experienced significant <br />growth in the last 20 years. The above issues are a result of this growth that has also spread beyond <br />the boundaries of the Twin Cities and St. Cloud metropolitan areas. <br /> <br />Trunk Highway 10, south of the City of Anoka to the interchange with TH 47 in Coon Rapids, is <br />currently a four-lane divided facility with a limited number of options available to improve travel <br />speeds and congestion. The Anoka County Transportation Plan recommends TH 10 for mid-term <br />study. The plan further recommends that the remaining highway segments be converted to freeway <br />standards, with ramp metering to improve access control, and that additional interchanges be <br />evaluated as the roadway design is refined. The plan states that in order for levels of service along <br />TH 10 to be at acceptable levels, the roadway could be upgraded to a six-lane divided freeway <br />within the existing right-of-way. Additionally, the County's transportation plan recommends <br />transit investments. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Northstar Corridor Major Investment Study <br />Conceptual Definition of Alternatives <br />February 1999 <br /> <br />IV-l <br />