INFORMATION #2 03-20-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The Minnesota Department of Transportation's (Mn/DOT) Interregional Corridor Management Plan identifies a general design alternative for THI0 through the historic downtown district. To accommodate safe access and improve traffic flow, the plan proposes to elevate the highway approximately 20 feet through the downtown area. The City's Comprehensive Plan calls for an expansion of the downtown area through an Old Town zoning district on both the north and south sides of TH 10. The elevated roadway alternative would effectively act as a barrier, consume potential redevelopment property and provide an impediment to important growth and redevelopment opportunities. To that end, the City is pursuing alternative strategies to address needed improvements. Reauest Summary The City of Elk River is requesting $500,000 to complete an alternatives analysis for roadway and access management improvements on the segment of TH10 between TH169 to the east, and Upland Avenue, west of the historic downtown district. The alternatives . analysis will not only look at options for TH10 through the core of Elk River, but also the effect on economic development in the downtown area. As part the analysis, the City will initiate an aggressive public involvement process to build community support for the THIO project that is consistent with the City's redevelopment goals. In addition, the City will study options for pedestrian movements throughout the historic district and identify multi modal opportunities in the downtown area in conjunction with the proposed Northstar Corridor commuter rail semce. Next Steps With a federal transportation program appropriation, the City will move forward with the alternatives analysis, coordinating the process with ongoing redevelopment efforts in the downtown area. The analysis process will also include a public involvement component directed toward building support for a preferred alternative, as well as the identification of safety improvements for pedestrians, and multi-modal opportunities in the downtown area. The alternatives analysis process will begin as soon as federal funding is identified and made available to the City. MnDOT's District 3 fiscally constrained 2030 plan has no funding allocated for TH10 improvements in Elk River. The IRC Plan states that by 2025 with no improvements, TH10 through Elk River will operate at Level of Service (LOS), which is the worst congestion on the LOS scale. Downtown redevelopment activities. cannot be subject to MnDOT's schedule. The preferred design alternative selected by the city will be completed in partnership with MnDOT to ensUre compatibility with the IRC Management Plan. Contact Persons Terry Maurer, City Engineer 763/635-1051 tmaurer@ci.elk-river.mn.us Elwyn Tinklenberg, The Tinklenberg Group 763/783-1288 elwvntinklenberg@tinklenberg:group.com III 02/06 -