DRAFT 171ST STUDY 04-27-2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS The master plan for the i7~st Avenue FAST exists in the context of major transportation planning efforts for the primary transportation corridors through Elk River. These transportation planning studies and their outcomes are critical in defining the future land use direction for the i7ist Avenue FAST. Key decisions on land use will likely be determined by the location of a future interchange for Highway ~o~i6g, as overtime the corridor transitions to a limited access freeway and all existing accesses are eliminated. The following is a review of the transportation and land use planning efforts related to the ~7~st Avenue FAST. zooz Inter-Regional Corridor Management Plan In zooz MN DOT, working with input from the city of Elk River, completed an Inter- Regional Corridor Management Plan identifying alternative strategies for upgrading Highway ~0~~69 south of Highway ioi in Elk River to a limited access freeway. The study identified two options for a future six lane freeway alignment; `Alignment A' essentially running parallel to the rail line roughly 400' away and `Alignment B' the existing Highway ~o~i6g corridor. The study also identified two interchange locations within Elk River between Highway ion and the eastern boundary of the community for either alignment. One would be located near Jarvis Street and the other near 165th Avenue. While the planning efFort was completed in zooz, MN DOT still has not identified any funding for this project in their zo year capital improvements program. Highway to&~6g Preliminary Design and Environmental Documentation Study Currently underway are two City initiated studies investigating ways to solve traffic bottlenecks in Elk River along Highway ~o heading west through historic downtown, Highway X69 heading north through a major commercial area of the community, and the poi & io~i6g interchange. The two studies identify a preferred reconstruction plan for the major interchange at poi and io~i6g, the Main Street and School Street intersections along Highway ~6g and the intersections along Highway io moving through the downtown area west to Lake Orono. Amore detailed review of these regional transportation planning efforts are discussed in the assumptions chapter of this report. Elk River Comprehensive Plan In zoo3 the city of Elk River completed a Comprehensive Plan update for the community. At the time of the update much of the land within the FAST project was undeveloped. In general, the City designated highway commercial uses along the Highway ~0~~69 corridor with light industrial uses beyond. North of the rail line high density housing was selected as the future land use. Two additional transportation initiatives were identified as part of the Comprehensive Plan update. The first initiative was to create a connection between i7~st Avenue and 65th Avenue through the extension of Twin Lakes Parkway, and the second was to investigate a roadway connection between CSAH iz and Highway io~i6g on the far eastern boundary of the community. BACKGROUND