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I-694 NON-MOTORIZED CROSSING STUDY PAGE 30 CENTRAL STUDY AREA NEAR-TERM PROJECTS Hodgson Road Reconstruction (map reference O) — This project will reconstruct Hodgson Road between Bridge Street and Gramsie Road. The specific type of pedestrian and bicycle facilities have not yet been determined, but the City of Shoreview and County are working together to determine the solution. This segment of Hodgson provides an important connection to the CSAH 96 Regional Trail and can serve as an alternate to Rice Street north of County Road F. CSAH 96 Bridge Redeck over I-35E (map reference P) — This 2016 MnDOT bridge maintenance project will replace the bridge deck of the CSAH 96 bridge over I-35E. The existing bridge was built in 1966 and does not currently have sidewalks, shoulders, or a trail. The current bridge is a significant barrier for east / west pedestrian and bicycle travel. CSAH 96 has a regional trail and is a Tier 1 RBTN corridor in the Met Council’s TPP. The planned bridge repair will result in an 8 foot trail on the south side of CSAH 96 with 3 foot shoulders on both sides of the roadway. These widths do not meet current standards for trails or bikeable shoulders, but represent an incremental improvement to pedestrian and bicycle mobility prior to the time that a full bridge replacement is undertaken. CENTRAL STUDY AREA LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS County Road E Bikeway (map reference Q) — This recommendation aims to provide a bikeway connection and wayfinding signage along County Road E and Soo Street on the south side of I-694. This bike route would take advantage of low-volume, low-speed streets to connect existing trails along Victoria and Owasso. More importantly, this connection improves access to the existing Grass Lake Trail crossing that is entirely separated from traffic, and provides a safe and comfortable alternative to adjacent crossings (especially Rice Street). Wayfinding to Grass Lake Trail Crossing (map reference R) — This recommends to provide wayfinding signage to the Grass Lake Trail crossing of I-694 from Hodgson Road and Gramsie Road through Snail Lake Regional Park. Signage here would take advantage of the planned improvements on Hodgson Road and help people find the existing crossing of I-694 at Grass Lake. This route could serve as an alternative to Rice Street and would connect to the County E / Soo Street bike route to the south (as previously described in recommendation Q). This route is somewhat indirect when compared to Rice Street, but would accommodate trail users who would not be comfortable using Rice Street. Rice Street Interchange (map reference S) — Ramsey County is actively seeking funding for the replacement of the Rice Street Interchange. The current interchange does not currently have pedestrian or bicycle facilities on Rice Street. A new interchange would replace the existing bridge over I-694 and provide some opportunity to improve pedestrian and bicycle accommodations across I-694. However, the proposed improvements will not likely appeal to all bicyclists and pedestrians due to high traffic volumes through the interchange. A new interchange has the potential to serve as a key connection for advanced bicyclists and pedestrians that are looking for the most direct route to access destinations along this commercial corridor and transit route. Trout Brook Regional Trail North (map reference T) — This project proposes to extend Trout Brook Regional Trail north across I-694 to Vadnais Lake. The proposed extension would create a new grade-separated trail crossing of I-694 east of Rice Street, providing a safe and comfortable crossing for all users in an area that lacks good non- motorized crossings. The trail master plan is currently under development and not yet approved by Metropolitan Council, and likely has a longer timeframe for implementation. Once complete, this route will fill a north-south gap between the Highway 96 Regional Trail and downtown St. Paul.