Agenda - Council Work Session - 10/12/2021

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Plan & Study Review Major River Crossing Study Report (1989) The purpose of this study, requested by the Met Council and MnDOT, was to understand river crossing needs at the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix Rivers in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. The study ranked bridges that needed to be built, replaced or rehabilitated by 2010. It reviewed the status of 35 Metro Area river crossings. Look Back The TH 169 bridge between Anoka and Champlin was identified as the second highest priority bridge in the study group. The original structure dates to 1929, but it was reconstructed in 1991. It was determined the four -lane deck under design in 1991 would not be able to correct current and future capacity problems in this area. The task force concluded additional capacity would be needed in the future for this stretch of the Mississippi. Improvements for TH 610 to the south were expected to satisfy demand needs for the next ten years (through 1999). The TH 610 bridge between Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids was also identified by the study as requiring attention (ranking 13th of 20 bridges reviewed). Although it was one of the newest bridges in the Twin Cities at that time, future severe congestion was anticipated in the area. The eventual plan was to construct two, three -lane bridges for TH 610 at this location. The study did not consider the TH 101 bridge between Otsego and Elk River since this was considered outside of the Metropolitan Area at the time. Look to Future The TH 169 bridge is still a 4-lane facility today. The TH 610 crossing currently has two bridges with each carrying four lanes of traffic — well in excess of the future bridge anticipated in the Major River Bridge Crossing Study. The 1989 study discussed a new river crossing for this area, though it did not identify a location. It noted that total regional demand can generally be satisfied by providing increased capacity at TH 610 and I- 694 (the reconstruction planned at TH 169 was not then planned to add capacity and no capacity has since been added to that crossing), but that the orientation of travel demand may still require an additional river crossing. It recommended the affected cities and counties should work in cooperation with MnDOT and the Met Council to complete the additional studies needed to determine the design and location of an additional river crossing, and should preserve the right-of-way needed for future implementation. Mississippi River Bridge Crossing Study (2002) This was an origin -destination study of three river crossing in the northwest metro —TH 610 (Brooklyn Park -Coon Rapids), TH 169 (Champlin -Anoka) and TH 10 (Otsego -Elk River). Look Back For TH 101 bridge, the study found most origins were in the vicinity of the bridge (e.g. Elk River, Otsego, Zimmerman, etc.). The top five nearby destinations accounted for more than 50% of trip origins, and the top ten (also nearby origins) accounted for 70%. Most destinations were in the immediate vicinity, as well. Almost half of all destinations were in Elk River, Otsego, Anoka, Ramsey, Maple Grove, Brooklyn NW Metro Mississippi River Crossings Feasibility Analysis Page 15