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4.6. SR 08-18-19974.6. Howard R, Green Company CONSULTING ENGINEERS August 13, 1997 File: 801230J CONSULTING ENGINEF~ Formerly MSA Consulting Engineers Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Elk River 13065 Orono Parkway P. O. Box 490 Elk River, MN 5530-0490 RE: COUNTY TRANSPORTATION PLAN Dear Council Members: On Wednesday, August 6, 1997, I attended a County Board meeting where the County Transportation Plan was presented. Two engineers from the County's consultant along with County Engineer Dave Schwarting made the presentation. Several maps were presented at the board meeting that I assume will be part of the final document. There were no copies of these maps available for distribution so the following is a description based on my notes. Future Level of Service Map This map is used to show areas in the current county system that were expected to be congested or near congestion by the year 2020. The areas deemed to be congested were based on a level of service at the D-E line (A through F rating system; A being the best, F the worst), assuming average daily weekday traffic volumes. This map assumed that the existing number of lanes were in place in 2020. It made no assumption about the condition of the roadway. In the City of Elk River, the segments shown as congested were: TH 169 (TH 10 to county Road 33) TH 10 (TH 169 to Upland) Proctor (CSAH #1 TH 10 to School Street) The following areas within Elk River were shown to be near congestion in the year 2020: 2. 3. 4. 5. CSAH #1 TH 10 (east from TH 169/101 interchange) CSAH #13 TH 10 (west from Upland to the City limits) County Road 77 from CSAH #1 to CSAH #33 To put this map in perspective, the only areas outside the City of Elk River which were shown to be congested were County Road 24 near Clear Lake, County Road 25 near Monticello, and County Road 4 in Zimmerman. There was also a small piece of County Road 7 in St. Cloud and a small piece of County Road 29 near Princeton. 1326 Energy Park Drive · St. Paul, MN 55108 · 612/644-4389 fax 612/644-9446 toll free 800/888-2923 Future Functional Classification Map. This map indicated the new and realigned roadways that the plan anticipates in the future. The segments shown on this map that fell within the City boundaries were as follows: The realignment of CSAH #13 which was classified a major urban collector The east/west corridor from TH 169 to CSAH #1 at CR 32, which was shown as a future local The realignment of Proctor near the intersection of CSAH #33 through the Shelly and Barton Gravel Mines Zebulon alignment across the Elk River to TH 10 Minor arterial along the east City limits connecting to Jarvis Street. Special Area Studies A handout was provided regarding special area studies. The one of interest to Elk River is the east/west corridor. I have attached a copy of the handout discussing this segment of road from CSAH #1 to TH 169. At the presentation, the County's consultant indicated that they considered this a vital link but also considered it to carry more local trips than regional type traffic. They indicated that they did not feel it was necessary to make a direct connection from TH 169 to TH 10 at this location because the County east/west needs would be better served by providing that connection near Zimmerman along the County Road #4 alignment. However, given the Zebulon alignment that was shown on the Future Functional Classification map and the existing county roads west of TH 169, this segment of new roadway between TH 169 and CSAH #1 would provide an indirect link between Anoka County on the east and TH 10 on the west. I have contacted County Engineer Dave Schwarting to see if the maps that were shown at this meeting would be available to present to the City Council at Monday evening's Council meeting. Dave said he would check with their consultant to see if maps could be made available. Just in case the actual maps are not available for Monday evening's meeting, I have attempted to highlight a city map indicating some of the information that was provided to the County Board at this presentation. I will also be available Monday evening to answer questions regarding the presentation of the County Transportation Plan. Sincerely, Howard R. Green Company Terry J. Maurer, P. E. TJM/et Enclosures 0:\801230~230-1306. aug Howard R, Green Company QQNSULTING ENGINEERS mended Sherburne County comprehensive transport, a- tion plan has arrived, with a few surprises. This is the first comprehen- sive plan the county has ever had, and when passed it will be used as a guide for future transportation. Wednesday the county board got a briefing from its consultant on what the plan contains. The next stop will be an County transportation plan arrives The long-awaited recom- open house of township off]- handle the traffic for the missioner Arne Engs~rom is cials and the public. After taking in' the feed- back the county board could revise it and adopt parts or all of it. Al. ready some improve- ments in the plan are being done. One surprise is that except for some hot spots on County Road 25 and Highway 10 and Highway 169 in Elk River, the county road sys- tom should be adequate to next 20 years. Another surprise for Elk River will be a recommenda- tion not to have a highway fi`om east to west connecfin~ to Highway 10. j The consultant is reco me_riding a two-lane highway only from Highway 165 southerly to County Road 1. There are only three prop- erty owners to deal with' on that alignment. Another surprise to Com- the suggestion that gravel mining by Barton and Shiely will only last for another six to 10 years. Without the gravel trucks to contond with, the need to have a road cutting from eas. t to west through the ci i · ty sn t as necessary, he notod. Funding all the roads in the project will mean having more township roads de- clared as state aid roads. County plan has no east-west corridor by Don Heinzman Editor A proposed Sherburne County transportation plan has some good news in it for western Elk River residents. The plan, first ever for the county, does not propose an o,ast-west corridor cutting .:ross Elk River along Co.unty Road 33. Instead, it. recommends a new road stretching from Highway 169 to County Road 1. And it isn't recommending that until eight to 10 years from now, after the gravel mining operations are over. Two gravel companies and the city of Elk River own the land for the proposed new road that would parallel County Road 33. The consultants, SRF, who drew up the plan are suggest- ing that gravel mining opera- tions could cease in Elk River sooner than the 20 years expected. No one should get too eXcited yet, because the plan is in draft stage. It could be revised or all, a part or none of it could be passed by the county board, which got a good first look at the document last week. A special presentation for the public is planned. After considering the feedback, the plan could be revised. After listening to the presen- tation, County Commissioner Arne Engstrom of Elk River' said he was pleased because most of the roads in the coun- ty appear to be adequate for the next 20 years.. If all of the plan for the next 20 years were adopted, there would be a deficit in funds needed of $15,757,000. This does not' take into account fed- eral aid. Consultants intend some roads be changed to state aid" roads, fleeing up some local funds for road building. , Engstrom naturally was pleased with the recommen- · dation not to have an east- west corridor in Elk River. The report has a surprise for the city of Zimmerman. It'rec- ommends that County State Aid Highway 4 be the east- west arterial route in the cen- ter of the county. The report says designating County Road 4 as a minor arterial means the county would have to allow fewer accesses to that road. Traffic volumes on that road now ar~ approaching 7,000 vehicles per day The volumes Roads continued to page 4 Roads Continued from page 1 are projected to increase to 13,400 vehicles per day by the year 2020. The consultants also recom- mend a good north-south. frontage road along Highway 169, with at least one good east-west connection to Highway 169 north and south of the city. The report also recommends a potential 'realignment of CSAH 4 to the south, of Zimmerman. Another bottleneck is in Big Lake, concerning County Road 73 which goes north of Highway 10 along the west side of Big Lake. The report recommends that a long'term plan be developed that would connect County Road 81 and the 200th Street intersection at a single inter- section with Highway 10. One arterial realignment concept would realign Highway 25' north of Monticello to follow the 200th Street alignment .to Highway 10. It is further recommended that the concept 'be given to realigning CSAH 5 from north of Big Lake to connect with Highway 25 at this intersec-- tion with Highway 10 Following are some other recommendations: · CSAH 5 is recommended for an upgrade from major col- lector to minor arterial. · Main Street in downtown Elk River is recommended for upgrade from ..local 'street to collector. · CSAH 8, southeast of TH 24 is recommended 'to be upgrad- ed from a minor to a major col- lector. Development of an east-west collector route between Elk River and Big Lake is needed. Use of existing 209th and 211th streets is recommended. County Road 33 would provide the connection to the east. The future east-west collec- tor route would entail change in tho, following cmmtv route,~ · County Road 43 between Highway 10 and County Road 83 is recommended to change from a minor collector to a local street. · County Road 83 is recom- mended to'be changed from a minor collector to a local street. · County Road 79 is recom- mended to be changed, from a minor collector to a local street. · County Road 60 is recom- mended for change from a minor collector to major collec- tor. · CSAH 16 between Highway 10 and through Highway 25 is r~cnmrnendod for chnn~o ~m a minor to a major collector. · A north-south collector- arterial route to the east of Highway 169 is recommended. This route, beginning at CSAH 29 to the north and ter- minating at Highway 190 to 'the south would use existing and new alignments. · A north-south collector route to the west of Highway 169 is recommended. This 'route, starting, at Highway 169 to the north and terminat- ing at CSAH I would use existing and new alignments.