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this time. An additional risk is that the final design of a project may <br />differ sign from the current concept, requiring different or <br />additional measures. <br />A range of $91 million to $111 million, providing for plus or minus 10 <br />percent., should adequately address the uncertainties around surface <br />transportation improvements needed for the Stadium Parcel. <br />Access from County Road I to the stadium for game-day events is a <br />critical transportation need for the Stadium Proposal. Lack of this <br />access will result in unacceptable congestion on the regional and lo- <br />cal roads. Agreement must he reached by the National Guard and all <br />Wildlife Corridor stakeholders on an acceptable design and alignment <br />and operations responsibilities for a stadium access road connecting <br />to County Road I. Until this agreement is reached, the project cannot. <br />be defined for purposes of environmental review. Delay in the envi- <br />ronmental review process can be mitigated by including environmen- <br />tal advocacy groups early in the process. <br />Permitting and Approvals <br />The greatest risk associated with obtaining federal and state <br />approvals is the impact on the project schedule. Federal approvals <br />would involve the Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental <br />Protection Agency, the Departm.ent of interior, and the Federal <br />Highway Administration. State approvals and permits would be <br />required from the MPCA and the Minnesota Department of <br />Transportation (MnDOT). <br />These federal and state approvals are not typically regarded as <br />high-risk processes. The highest-risk approval could be approval of <br />the federal Environ.m.ental Assessment. because it potentially involves <br />the longest time frame. Coordination with the permitting and <br />approving agencies will be important to minimizing the risk in delays <br />to the overall schedule. State legislation could include measures to <br />streamline permit reviews, but this would affect only state permits, <br />not the federal reviews. <br />Among the regional approvals, a metropolitan significance review, <br />if conducted, poses a major schedule risk to the project. Once a <br />metropolitan significance review commen.ces, the process could delay <br />the project schedule by u.p to 12 months. However, the Legislature <br />could take action to exempt this project from metropolitan <br />significance review. <br />The Stadium Proposal would re . quire a number of local permits and <br />approvals from several municipalities, the Rice Creek Watershed <br />Distric,t. and Ramsey County. Presenting the most risk. is obtaining <br />.'(!ess from Roa- <br />I to the sLadiurn for <br />irrie-day (Nents is a <br />(Tit ica tTaiispori. ation <br />need for. the Stadium <br />Proposal,, <br />Coorclination with the <br />permitting and <br />approving :igeri.cies ‘vill <br />be important to <br />nlinimizing the risk in <br />delays to the overall <br />..:::c.neciule„ State legislation <br />could include Ineasure:: <br />to s.i.reaniline <br />reviews hilt this would <br />affect onl:y state perrnits, <br />not •the federal reviews, <br />