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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, December 4, 2017 <br /> Page 18 <br /> sideration would be given to extending the cable median accordingly. Mr. Culver <br /> cautioned that one consideration for the city was in Hamline being a Ramsey <br /> County State Aid facility, and if closed and significant traffic decreases were <br /> found on Hamline Avenue with these mitigation efforts, causing the County to <br /> find that the roadway no longer met or serves as a County State Aid facility, they <br /> may seek to turn it back to the city. Mr. Culver noted that conversations to-date <br /> were still very preliminary in nature and would require additional follow-up. <br /> With the larger I35-W project and its projected four-year timeframe, Coun- <br /> cilmember Etten sought information on where staging would initiate or how it <br /> would be mixed over that fairly lengthy stretch of roadway. <br /> Mr. Culver noted that, with the two largest issues being the four bridges sched- <br /> uled for replacement, the phasing would most likely begin on the south end at <br /> County Road C, followed by replacement of the County Road I bridge. Once <br /> both of those were out of the way, Mr. Culver opined that there would then be <br /> more flexibility with any remaining phasing. <br /> Councilmember Etten addressed potential spillover traffic onto Fairview Avenue, <br /> and asked if any consideration had been given by MnDOT at County Road C-2 to <br /> turning northbound traffic onto Snelling Avenue, and given city projects in that <br /> vicinity and mitigation consideration already being addressed by the city, asked <br /> what the city might be prepared for with this broader scoped MnDOT project. <br /> Mr. Culver admitted there were lots of dots to connect depending on traffic <br /> movement and City of Arden Hills' plans for a roundabout at Old Snelling Ave- <br /> nue and County Road E during this same time period. Mr. Culver opined that this <br /> would obviously result in drivers seeking alternate routes to County Road C and <br /> Cleveland Avenue, causing the need for other mitigation projects in other cities. <br /> In hindsight, Mr. Culver opined that MnDOT probably should have installed a <br /> signal at County Road B-2 and Cleveland, and would probably install a temporary <br /> signal to provide less delay for those using Cleveland Avenue as an alternate <br /> route. If so, Mr. Culver opined that this would then encourage fewer people to <br /> seek Fairview Avenue as an alternate, and while some would still use Snelling <br /> Avenue, in combination those alternate routes should serve to direct fewer people <br /> onto Fairview Avenue. Mr. Culver reported that the County Road C-2 situation <br /> would be addressed by MnDOT as soon as next year, with MnDOT and the city <br /> still vetting the third lane project for Snelling Avenue as part of the consideration <br /> with the city's project to avoid designing that intersection and signal twice. <br /> Councilmember Etten stated his concerns with those already attempting to cross <br /> Snelling Avenue or use the intersection of Fairview and County Road D and the <br /> potential for those efforts becoming significantly worse. Therefore, Coun- <br /> cilmember Etten asked that staff do whatever possible to coordinate with the <br />