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UPDATE ON T.H. #47/C.R. #116 PROJECT By: Steve Jankowski, City Engineer Background: Ever since the C.R. #116 bridge over the Rum River was opened in early 1991, there has been an intersection capacity problem resulting from an inadequate number of mm lanes on T.H. #47. Presently, traffic waiting to get through the intersection backs up between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m. At times, the backups extend beyond the intersection with C.S.A.H. #5. The County has sought funding to remedy this problem for several years, and has secured funding from MnDOT for construction in fiscal year 1996. The project is being funded primarily by MnDOT, but is being designed and managed by the County Highway Department. The City of Ramsey will have no financial obligations to this project outside of bituminous nails alongside the highway work. At the October 24, 1995 Road and Bridge meeting, I presented the Committee with a plan sheet of the proposed project. At this time, it was also noted that the raised median on T.H. #47, north and south of C.R. #116, would disallow the ability for left tums. While highway officials insist these medians are necessary for the safest and most efficient operation of the intersection, this has created some consternation on the part of the commercial property owners along the project. Several property owners retained an engineer and attorney to discuss some compromise alternative which would at least allow left tums north of C.R. #116 into River Bend places and the SuperAmerica site for a limited period of time. This proposal was discussed with the County Highway Department and MnDOT representatives at a meeting held on Thursday, February 8, 1996. These officials expressed the following concerns with this proposal: design less than optimal from traffic standpoint additional construction and redesign costs would be incurred the issue of being temporary would merely postpone political issues additional costs would be incurred when the permanent improvements were installed similar consideration would be requested south of the intersection with C.R. #116 However, thc most significant obstacle with any major revisions to the plans at this point are associated with project funding. This project has been sought by the County since 1990 and has undergone several redesigns. At this point, funding has been secured to Fiscal Year 1996, which means that the project funds must be encumbered by June 30, 1995, and to meet that deadline, plans must be submitted by March 1. This does not allow for a major project redesign. If this project doesn't meet the Fiscal Year 1996 deadline, it could be fa:st reconsidered with other candidate projects in Fiscal Year 1998 (which begins July 1, 1997). In recent .years, the State has favored funding smaller cooperative agreement projects in order to do more projects. At $600,000, this intersection project would be considered a larger cooperative agreements project, and, therefore, may be at a disadvantage when compared with smaller projects generating similar need ratings.