4.7 SR 04-20-2020City of
Qk*'
River
Request for Action
To
Item Number
Mayor and City Council
4.7
Agenda Section
Meeting Date
Prepared by
Consent
April 20, 2020
Justin Femrite, P.E., Public Works Director
Item Description
Reviewed by
Letter of support for Sherburne County
Cal Portner, City Administrator
Reviewed by
Improvements at TH 169 and County State Aid
Highway 4 in Zimmerman
Action Requested
Approve, by motion, attached letter of support.
Background/Discussion
As Sherburne County and the City of Zimmerman proceed forward with a solution to the intersection of
US Highway 169 and CSAH 4, they are requesting support in their seeking of construction funding
through the Federal BUILD Grant Solicitation.
Last meeting, the Council approved a letter of support for the project to state legislators. This letter is
intended for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Financial Impact
None
Attachments
■ Letter of Support
The Elk River Vision
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April 17, 2020
Elaine L. Chao
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20590
RE: Letter of Support for the 2020 BUILD Discretionary Grant: Highway 169/County Highway 4 Interchange
Project (Zimmerman, MN)
Dear Ms. Chao:
I am writing in support of Sherburne County, Minnesota's application for funding through the United States
Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant. If
awarded, the funding would be used to complete a long -planned interchange at U.S. Highway 169 and County
Highway 4 in the City of Zimmerman, Minnesota. This project addresses critical safety concerns and will
provide crucial capacity to support increasing traffic volumes on U.S. Highway 169.
The project is regionally significant as it will serve several rural communities in greater Central Minnesota and
enhance access to the metropolitan region. The project is in a rural community and will provide a critical linkage
to the Twin Cities economic center. U.S. Highway 169 is a vital north -south arterial route in central Minnesota
and serves an important role in supporting commuters, freight movement, and recreational travel. Travel from
76 of the 87 counties in Minnesota passes through the project area.
Currently, U.S. Highway 169 in the City of Zimmerman is a four -lane, divided highway with at -grade roadway
and driveway intersections, traffic signals at major intersections, and limited frontage and backage road systems.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has secured funding to reconstruct U.S. Highway
169 to a freeway system. The County is seeking BUILD funds to complete the vision for the U.S. Highway
169 corridor and address critical safety issues.
The U.S. Highway 169/County Highway 4 intersection will represent the last remaining signalized intersection
within a 75-mile corridor of U.S. Highway 169 between Interstate 94 and Mille Lacs County following
completion of the MnDOT's Highway 169 Reconstruction Project. The current traffic signal control at the
Highway 169/County Highway 4 is ranked 21id worst in safety within Central Minnesota (MnDOT District 3).
Reconstruction of this intersection is critical to eliminate significant safety issues, expand capacity, and support
the freight and tourism industries that rely on this corridor.
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River, MN 55330 Phone:
763.635.1000
www.ElkRiverMN.gov
BUILD grant funds will be used to construct the Highway 169/County Highway 4 interchange to address
critical safety and operational issues, as well as accommodate planned long-term growth and connect rural
communities to economic opportunities in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.
The City of Elk River supports Sherburne County's application for the funding of the Highway 169/County
Highway 4 Project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 763.635.1000.
Sincerely,
John J. Dietz
Mayor