3.7. SR 08-21-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The State's plall for HigIlway 10 may 11ave evelllllore ilnpact. The State's plall has Highway 10 bei11g raised about 15 - 20 feet through tIle downtown area, with ullderpasses at Main Street and JacksoIl Avenue. No mOlley is available to MnDOT to complete tile study on this project. Tile COUI1Cil alld City staffllave been working diligelltly to try to obtain either Federal or State fullding for the Ilighways. Mayor Klil1zing, COllncilmembers Motin and Gumphrey, and City Administrator Jolmson have all traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with various legislators (SeIlators Colelnan alld Dayton, Congresslnen KelU1edy and Oberstar) and their staffs to obtain fllllding. Recent construction proj ects have admittedly caused travel on Highway IOta become even more difficult, at least temporarily. The tlrree ongoing building construction projects in downtown Elk River llad caused a rerouting of Main Street and the redirectioll of traffic from the ParrisIl Avenue Bridge froln Otsego to Highway 10. MnDOT changed the timing of the lights to allow 1110re traffic flow across alld onto Highway 10. The impact, as pointed out in Mr. Stevens' letter, has generated greater traffic flow difficulties at the Main Street alld Highway 1 0 intersection. WitIl the recent reopening of Main Street, MnDOT \vill be able to change the signal timing back aIld, hopefully, get traffic flow alollg Highway 10 to what it \vas before the closing of Main Street. A1lother recellt project WIlich callsed a very difficult week of commuting was the week-long closillg of Proctor Avenue \vhich was necessary to allo\v repair of the rapidly deteriorating railroad crossillg. While the City wanted tIle crossing repaired, because Proctor Avenue is a COUllty road and because it required coordination with the railroad, tile City was not directly illvolved in the till1ing of tIle \vork. Mr. Stevells' letter states "tIle problelll is WIlD is actually in charge of the traffic control systellls of Elk River? The allswer is jtlSt abotlt everYOlle, City, County alld State - none of whom appear to be cOImnunicatillg at al1." The City of Elk River strongly believes that it has an excellent ongoing relationship witll all govemmelltal elltities. Over the past 20 years, the City has cooperatively worked with MnDOT on lllany projects illcluding those that resulted in the reconstruction of local roads, the closing of unneeded and unsafe highway accesses to Highways 10 and 169 al1d creating new, safer, signalized illtersections along botll highways. In addition to the City's lobbying efforts to secure federal fundillg as melltioned above, MnDOT has lent its support to the effort and it will be a valued participant, should the City secure additional fulldillg for further sllldy of tIle area from the Inter- Regional Corridor Plal1. In recent years, tIle City Ilas also beell able to forge a much stro11ger relationship with Sherburne County Higll\vay Staffwitll the appointment of Rhonda Lewis as County Engineer and John Mentor as Public Works Director. We have worked cooperatively with these two individuals to plan the reconstruction of County Higll\Vay 40 between County Roads 12 and 13 in the eastern part of Ollr developi11g urban area. The City has also worked cooperatively with the COllnty High\vay Departlllellt and the gravel mine owners to help facilitate the reconstruction of COUl1ty Roads 33 alld 77 ill tIle Ilorthem part of the City. At our request, the COllnty included an