6.9. SR 06-18-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY EVALUATION ELK RIVER HIGHWAY 169 PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION June 4, 2007 o Poor access to commercial areas in northwest aod northeast quadraots; significaot circuity into aod out of these areas. o Limited commercial access to commercial areas in southeast and southwest quadrants at Main Street; access restricted to right-in/right-out. o Commercial property impacts in the northwest and southeast quadraot of Main Street. o Potential commercial impacts in the northwest and southwest quadraots at School Street. o Potential residential impacts at School Street aod east frontage road. Based on preliminary analysis and public input, the design team found that Alternative BC-2 provides for the best traffic operations, provides good access to the northeast and southwest quadrants at Main Street by connecting to the current street system, will have lower construction costs relative to Alternative BC-3, and was more acceptable thao Alternatives BC-l aod BC-3. For these reasons, the design team and the Local Advisory Committee recommends Alternative BC-2 as the Preferred Alternative. It should be noted that Alternative BC-2 was also the preferred option based on comments received at the May 17th Focus Group meetings and Open House in Elk River. Highway 10/101/ 1691nterchange The design team considered three main build alternatives for the Highway 10/101/169 interchaoge. Each of the three alternatives would remove the existing signal at the north ramps of the interchaoge, aod would also remove the existing stop sign at the south ramp of the interchange. The main build alternatives considered are: . Alternative Al (3) - Full Regional Interchange: this interchange alternative provides high speed, free flow for all movements. This results in high costs due to the number, height (four level structures), aod lengths of new bridges over the river, railroad and other roadways. Compared to the other two alternatives, Alternative Al had the highest right-of way impacts (primarily in the north and south quadraots). As a result, Alternative Al was eliminated from consideration due to high costs, right-of- way impacts, and due to the likelihood that key environmental impacts such as a Wild and Scenic River (Mississippi) due to additional bridges, aod right-of-way impacts to Babcock Park. . Alternative A2 - Interchange with Loops (Three-Level): this interchaoge alternative provides high speed ramps for major traffic movements, and lower speed loops for minor traffic movements. High costs due to the number, height (three level structures), and lengths of new bridges over the river, railroad and other roadways. However, since Alternative A2 still would require at least one new bridge over the Mississippi River, it was also eliminated from consideration due to high costs, right- of-way impacts, and due to the likelihood that key environmental impacts such as a Wild aod Scenic River (Mississippi) as a result of the additional bridge(s), and right-of-way impacts to Babcock Park. . Alternative A3 - Interchange with Loops (Two-Level): this interchange alternative also provides high speed ramps for selected major traffic movements, aod lower speed loops for minor traffic movements. Lower costs due to the number, height (two level structures), aod lengths of new (or widened) bridges over the river, railroad aod other roadways. Since Alternative A3 reduces key environmental impacts by widening the existing bridges (not adding new bridges) over the Mississippi River, and minimizes right-of-way impacts to Babcock Park by pulling ramps away from the park, the design team and the Local Advisory Committee recommends Alternative A3 as the Preferred Alternative. (3) Electronic, color copies of the layouts are available on the project website's "Maps" page: http://projects.dot. state. mn. us/srj7169elkriver/maps. html