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: REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br />� DATE: O 1: :}�r'�}? <br />ITEM: �•d <br />� <br />� Department Approval: Manager Reviewed: Agenda Section: <br />7 � <br />� <br />� <br />lII ... . <br />��L Item Description: Resolution in Support of Funding Request for Design of Rice Street <br />1;� Interchange at Highway 36 <br />1� <br />1� <br />15 Back�raund: The City of Little Canada initiated an effort in December to discuss the <br />1�� reconstruction of the Rice Street interchange at Highway 36. Staff has participated in three <br />1� meetings since that time that included the cities of Maplewood, Little Canada, and Roseville, <br />18 Ramsey County, MnDot, Representative Bev Scalze, and representatives of St. Jude Medical <br />1� Corporate Headquarters in Little Canada. St Jude Medical is currently completing an expansion <br />��� at their facility on the south side of Hwy. 36 on East County Road B. They have additional <br />21 expansion plans for new technologies at their campuses in Little Canada and additional <br />� i consolidation of their facilities to this area. They estimate they intend for an additiona1400-600 <br />�:� additional medical technology jobs to be located at their campuses in this area in the next five <br />� � years. <br />-� � <br />�� St Jude Medical is concerned about the traffic issues in the area of the Rice Street interchange. <br />� r These are the same concerns echoed by the cities a year ago when Metro Transit was considering <br />�� a Park N Ride facility at the SE corner of the interchange. In light of the ongoing problems from <br />�� County Road �.i across the interchange up to Minnesota Street, the group felt the best plan of <br />�� action is to seek funding for a new interchange design in order to have a project ready for <br />3 L potential constructionfunding. Representative Scalze is very supportive of this effort and has <br />3� involved the Department of Economic Development as well as having some preliminary <br />3:3 discussion with the Governor as to the importance of this project to the Rice Street Corridor and <br />� }� the businesses located there. <br />�� <br />�� This interchange is currently not programed or funded by Ramsey County or MnDot. <br />.3 � Additional requests will need to be made in the future for construction funding a�dlor <br />3� applications for transportation grants. The reconstruction of this bridge is important to the future <br />�� expansion of Highway 36, as well as it is the only other interchange needing reconstruction after <br />� I� the Lexington Bridge is reconstructed in 2011 as currently programmed. <br />�1 <br />�� Representative Scalze has introduced legislation requesting 2 million dollars for the design work. <br />� 3 The work group is requesting resolutions of support for this legislation from all of the <br />�� jurisdictions involved to be forwarded to the Transportation Chairs at the Legislature, the <br />�� Commissioner of Transportation, and the local legislative body. <br />� �: <br />�? Staff is recommending adoption of the attached resolution in support of this legislation. The <br />�� workgroup is continuing to discuss a potential short term traffic improvement plan for the <br />�� interchange area to improve flow until funding can be secured for reconstruction. <br />