Agenda - Council - 02/12/2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Bersaw stated that they also have the same configurations for the intersection with Ramsey Boulevard going under both the railroad crossing and Highway 10. Mayor LeTourneau asked the cost difference between an overpass and an underpass. Mr. Tillman stated that going under tends to be more expensive as there is a need for a temporary railroad bypass. He stated that it can also be more challenging to obtain a permit from the railroad and there may also be pumping costs dependent upon the water table levels. Ms. Bersaw identified additional buildings that would be impacted in order to construct a shoefly, or temporary track. Councilmember Shryock asked and received confirmation that there would be additional costs and impact to Highway 10, if Ramsey Boulevard were going to go under Highway 10. Ms. Bersaw stated that in discussions with BNSF Railroad, their first question is why the road cannot go over the railroad and that must be shown first before the railroad would even consider the road going under the railroad. She provided additional details on the planning process and how it will evolve as it moves forward, noting that this is still the very beginning fuzzy level of the process. Mr. Bersaw moved to the chart identifying the pros and cons for each of the options provided thus far for Ramsey Boulevard. She explained that the evaluation process considered what is important to the City, to the County, and to MnDOT. She stated that at the technical group meeting there was a question of whether there would be preliminary agency support for the different options in order to gain input on moving forward. She reviewed the different elements included in the chart and the opinions that were received. She noted that the technical team is recommending that the options that include a railroad underpass be eliminated as well as eliminating the standard diamond and folded options that more significantly impact the park. Councilmember Heinrich asked for additional information on cost differences. Mr. Tillman stated that because this is a high-level design, they have not put a number to the concepts but provided additional information on the estimate range that was provided. Ms. Bersaw stated that as the process continues to be refined, a range of cost estimates will be developed. Councilmember Riley asked if the single point option that is not supported is not supported because of the high cost that would be associated. Ms. Bersaw confirmed that because there are three other options available, the single point is not recommended at this point. Councilmember Shryock stated that she would be interested in removing option seven from the list because of the high number of movements and the increase in travel time for users. She City Council Work Session / January 29, 2019 Page 3 of 9