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<br /> <br />Feasibility Report Page 12 <br />Snelling Avenue North and County Road E - Street and Utility Improvements <br />City Project Number PW 20-0100 DRAFT <br />travel lines and two 8-foot wide paved shoulders. Fog line pavement markings would be <br />installed to delineate the pavement shoulders. <br />A schematic layout of the proposed roadway and trail improvements for Alternative 2 is <br />provided in Appendix H. The advantages of Alternate 2 include a shorter construction <br />timeline, lower project costs, focus of limited capital funds for trail segments north of County <br />Road E, and reduced risk of encountering contaminated soil conditions. The disadvantages <br />of Alternative 2 would include maintaining the current condition where bicyclists and <br />pedestrians continue to use the 8-ft wide paved shoulders without the benefit of a dedicated <br />multiuse trail facility south of County Road E. <br /> <br />Council Consideration: The City Council reviewed the two roadway alternatives described <br />above during a work session on July 20, 2020. The Council discussed the cost differential <br />between the two alternatives in relation to the City’s limited availability of capital <br />improvement funds. The Council also discussed the higher priority currently placed on <br />recreational trail segments along Snelling Avenue North from County Road E2 to Lake <br />Valentine Road and the connection to Mounds View High School, which is reflected in the <br />City’s current efforts to obtain federal regional solicitation funding for trail improvements. <br />While not ideal, the roadway south of County Road E does have 8-foot wide shoulders to <br />provide some accommodation for pedestrians and bicyclist. Based on these factors, the <br />consensus of the City Council was a general preference for Alternative 2. <br /> <br />3.2 Street Improvements: Area 2 – Intersection of Snelling Ave and County Road E <br />Section 2.3 provides a summary of the Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) study <br />previously conducted for the intersection of Snelling Avenue North and County Road E. The <br />ICE report provides a review of alternatives considered for the intersection and <br />recommended construction of a single lane roundabout. A copy of the ICE report is provided <br />in Appendix B. <br /> <br />Two schematic layouts were prepared for the proposed roundabout intersection <br />improvements as provided in Appendix I. While both layouts are similar, there is variation <br />in the intersection alignment to illustrate the ability to minimize potential right of way <br />acquisition and the need to relocate overhead power and natural gas utilities near the <br />intersection. For the purposes of this feasibility report, both layouts are assumed to have the <br />same estimated costs as provided in Section 5. <br /> <br />Council Consideration: The City Council reviewed the ICE report and the proposed single <br />lane roundabout intersection improvements during a work session on September 21, 2020. <br />The Council discussed the significant changes in traffic volumes at the intersection of <br />Snelling Avenue and County Road E due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council also <br />discussed the potential changes to traffic volume from Bethel University, which is one of the <br />primary trip generators for this intersection, and concerns expressed during the public open <br />house meeting in October 2019 regarding the proposed roundabout. The consensus of the <br />City Council was to separate the potential intersection improvements into an independent