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Goals of the <br />Feasibility Analysis <br />• Understand Past Efforts — The idea of additional <br />Mississippi River crossing capacity has been studied <br />numerous times over the past three decades and is a <br />part of some community plans. Understanding how <br />project partners have been planning for improved <br />crossing capacity will serve as a baseline for this <br />analysis. <br />• Understand Travel Patterns - Develop a clear <br />understanding of vehicle travel patterns for the three <br />Mississippi River crossings at Highway 101, 169 and <br />610. This understanding includes where people <br />are, where they are going, and how they get there. <br />Understanding these patterns will detail where traffic <br />desires to be and assist in how to accommodate those <br />demands. <br />• Understand System Performance - Quantify/ <br />monetize vehicle delay associated with each river <br />crossing corridor and evaluate that delay within the <br />context of planned and programmed improvements. <br />This will create an understanding of the reserve <br />capacity in each river crossing and will establish a <br />baseline in performance. <br />• Understand Land Use and Growth — The Twin <br />Cities Northwest Metropolitan Area has experienced <br />considerable growth over the last several decades. <br />Communities in the corridor have adopted <br />comprehensive plans designating future land uses. <br />A comprehensive plan outlines a community's goals <br />for growth, details the plan for types of land uses and <br />development, and provides strategies about how to <br />make these goals a reality. Identifying and compiling <br />these plans will provide an understanding of the <br />long-term population and employment growth along <br />the corridor, the demand this growth will create, the <br />mobility and access needed. <br />• Understand Community Position — This effort <br />includes a strategic engagement process where <br />the team will listen to concerns, explore the facts, <br />understand the work completed in the past, and <br />present clear and consistent findings. Communities in <br />the influence area of this effort will be engaged and <br />informed. <br />• Evaluate Concepts to Serve Demands - This effort <br />includes the development of high-level concepts <br />that address operational issues and maximize the <br />value of in -place infrastructure. The concepts may <br />include improvements to existing river crossings and <br />exploration of new river crossings. <br />• Develop Technically Feasible Concepts - Evaluate <br />the feasibility of improvements based on land use, <br />system benefits, overall cost/benefit analysis and <br />return on investment. This analysis will examine the <br />viability of concepts both on and off the existing <br />infrastructure. <br />• Conclusion of this Effort — This effort is a technical <br />analysis only and will be documented as such. The <br />final document will detail the overall findings of this <br />effort but will not recommend a vision. Next steps for <br />project partners will be identified, and may include <br />further analysis, environmental study, corridor studies, <br />and community engagement. <br />Project Contacts <br />Jennifer Wiltgen <br />MnDOT North Area Coordinator <br />jennifer.wiltgenPstate.mn.us <br />651-234-7716 <br />Chris Hoberg <br />MnDOT West Area Engineer <br />christian.hobergPa state.mn.us <br />651-234-7720 <br />