CCP 01-20-1993 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. Honorable Mayor and City Council January 14, 1993 Page Two Information provided by MnDOT shows that between January 1986 and December 1991 when the median was open, 28 accidents occurred at the intersection. Eleven of the accidents involved vehicles using the median opening. All accidents caused personal injuries, including three fatalities. In a letter dated November 26, 1991, to the City of Arden Hills, MnDOT indicated that, after a review of all data, the median closure was warranted. INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS - ALTERNATIVE 1 The proposed TH 51 and Snelling Avenue intersection realignment is shown on Exhibit 1. This alternative turns the Hamline Avenue/Old Snelling Avenue/TH 51 area into one intersection with the streets at right angles. The intersection would also be signalized. The estimated construction and project costs are shown in Table 1. The total project cost is estimated at $428,007.50. The estimated overhead items have been calculated at 32 % of the construction cost, as outlined in the City's Assessment Manual. . It appears that existing right-of-way is sufficient to construct the intersection improvements. Therefore, no additional land acquisition costs, which would be loo% City funded, would be incurred with this alternative. Old Snelling Avenue is currently a Ramsey County roadway. The County is planning to turn back Old Snelling Avenue to the City of Arden Hills. The intersection alternative would require coordination of the turnback with the County. Mounds View School District offices are located at Hamline and Lydia Avenue. Mr. John Ostlund, the District's Assistant Director of Support Services, was contacted regarding their position relative to the median closure. He stated that the schools had stopped routing buses through the TH 5110ld Snelling Avenue intersection for safety reasons three years prior to the median closure. Mr. Ostlund indicated that if the intersection were sig,,~li7P1l, the School District would utilize it for bus routes. As shown on Exhibit 1, there is a wetland to the south of Old Snelling Avenue. The wetland appears on the US. Fish and Wildlife National Wetland Inventory Map. Construction affecting a wetland area requires permitting from both the Corps of Engineers and Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD). Wetland mitigation is required by RCWD at a minimum ratio of 1:1 to a maximum of 2: 1. Construction of the proposed intersection may affect a portion of the wetland. In this case, the area north of the proposed intersection would be proposed as an area for mitigation. . It is our understanding that funding for the proposed intersection alternative would be 50% State costs, 25 % County costs, and 25 % City costs. The State costs would include normal roadway improvements on TH 51 at the intersection and one-half of the signal costs. Mr. O'Keefe indicated that additional MnDOT funding may be available if the median openings at 03Cl-1506.dcc