Laserfiche WebLink
TH 10 Access Planning Study <br />MnDOT Metro District <br />Anoka County, Minnesota <br />PROBLEM STATEMENT <br />July 2013 <br />Highway 10 is a principal arterial roadway providing a significant transportation <br />connection from Minneapolis - St. Paul to the northwest suburbs and beyond. The <br />4-lane roadway (Anoka/Sherburne County line to the Rum River) carries average <br />daily traffic volumes ranging from 33,500 to 61,000 vehicles per day. <br />Highway 10 has been studied numerous times over the past decade, each time <br />furthering the planning for conversion to a full freeway. Based upon traffic <br />volumes and safety concerns, a freeway is the proper vision for this corridor. The <br />corridor is commonly congested and has much higher than average crash and <br />severity rates than comparable corridors. In addition, the corridor has five <br />signalized intersections and numerous other access points (14.5 per mile) <br />contributing to the degradation of the facility. Over the past 10 years, 13 people <br />have died on the 7-mile corridor. Four of these fatalities were pedestrians, <br />including three in the past 18 months. <br />Considering overall state and federal funding levels, it will be difficult to expand <br />this portion of Highway 10 and achieve the vision of a freeway facility in the <br />immediate future. To reduce crashes and improve mobility issues, it is reasonable <br />and responsible to implement low-cost, interim measures that incrementally <br />improve safety and operations for all users of the Highway 10 corridor. <br />The intent of this study is to identify high -benefit improvements that are fiscally <br />responsible so that improvements can be funded, programmed, and implemented <br />incrementally. The price paid for waiting for funding to construct expensive, <br />comprehensive improvements will be continued congestion, numerous conflict <br />points, and continued severe and fatal crashes. <br />