8.2. SR 06-06-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

M~ CONSULTING ENGINEERS CIVIL ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENTAl MUNICIPAl PlANNING STRUCTURAl ~URVEYING TRAFFIC TRANSPORTATION 1326 Energy Park Drive 51. Paul, MN 55108 612-6A4-4389 Fax: 612.6AA-9AA6 e 9800 5helard Parkway Minneapolis, MN 55AA 1 612-5A6-0A32 Fax: 612.5AA-6398 May 16, 1994 File: 230-209-44 Mr. Gary Schmitz City of Elk River 13065 Orono Parkway Elk River, Mn 55330 RE: HAL'S ADDITION Dear Mr. Schmitz: As requested, this correspondence is intended to discuss the potential viability of Railroad Drive as an east-west connector in the City of Elk River relative to its proximity and affect on Hal's Addition which is currently being reviewed by the City Council. As part of the comprehensive transportation study process, we were requested to review Railroad Drive from Main Street to Proctor Avenue as an east-west connector within the City. We did review that potential alignment and recommended that it not be pursued further for several reasons. Those reasons include the fact that Railroad Drive is essentially a non-existing roadway from Jackson Avenue to Proctor Avenue. Along this alignment, the road would need to be constructed through Lion's Park, which has relatively poor soils. The cost of such construction would be very high as compared to the length of roadway. A more pertinent issue as to why we do not believe it is an appropriate east-west connector is the types of intersections we would have at Main Street, Jackson Avenue, and Proctor Avenue. The Main Street intersection would be skewed unless additional land were acquired and the alignment changed. The location of Railroad Drive at Main Street is adjacent to the railroad crossings, which are at a relatively high grade, making visibility to the west for traffic coming from Trunk Highway 10 difficult to see. The intersection at Jackson Avenue is again relatively close to the railroad crossing and also close to the signalized intersection of Jackson and Trunk Highway 10. Oftentimes, traffic backs up on Jackson to a point that it is difficult to get out of Railroad Drive as it currently exists onto Jackson southbound. Making this an east-west connector would complicate this issue further. At the Proctor Avenue intersection would be the issue of close proximity to both the railroad and to the north, School Street, making two fairly major intersections relatively close to each other and excessively close to the railroad crossing.