Ramsey Resident - 2022 - January/February

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January/February • 2022 RESIDENT RESIDENT River Crossing: Is There a New Bridge in Ramsey’s Future? Anyone who has lived in Ramsey over the past 30 years knows that another Mississippi River bridge has been a regular topic of discussion. Recently, the State of Minnesota has taken a renewed interest in the po- tential of a future bridge to solve long-term traﬃ c issues in the northwest suburbs. ? e Twin Cities Northwest Metropolitan Area has experienced con- siderable growth over the last several decades. As a result, existing Missis- sippi River crossings on Highways 101, 169, and 610 are approaching or exceeding capacity and experience several hours of congestion every day. ? is congestion impacts hundreds of thousands of commuters, freight haulers and recreational travelers, as well as countless residents making local trips between northwest metro communities. Furthermore, com- munities in this area are expected to experience residential and employ- ment growth in the coming years that will place additional pressure on the highway network. ? e Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) recently completed a Northwest Metro Mississippi River Crossing Feasibility Analysis to explore regional travel patterns and consider whether a new Mississippi River crossing may be a feasible solution to existing and antic- ipated mobility challenges in the northwest metropolitan area. ? is anal- ysis combined past river crossing studies with up-to-date land use data, population forecasts, traﬃ c modeling techniques and civil engineering to develop four highway improvement concepts, which were evaluated for traﬃ c impacts and cost eﬀ ectiveness. ? is feasibility analysis did not include project recommendations, but identi? ed four concepts that were deemed technically feasible. ? e study was a fact-? nding investigation and the ? rst of several steps in the project development process. MnDOT’s primary goals were to assess the community and transportation context, identify the locations and sourc- es of congestion, understand stakeholder perspectives and de? ne a range of potential solutions to mobility challenges. Photo by Michael Hokkanen ? e feasibility analysis identi? ed a process stakeholders could use if Continued on Page 6 Development Report3 Administrator’s Corner4 I Heart Ramsey8-9 Winter Articles13-14