Presentation on Final Design Process for Highway 10/Armstrong Boulevard Interchange

-- INFORMATION ONLY - NO ACTION REQUESTED --

Purpose -
The purpose of this case is to receive an update from SRF Consulting Group regarding the process that will be followed while preparing final design plans and specifications for the Highway 10 & Armstrong Boulevard/CSAH 83 Interchange project.  The City Council will also be introduced to members of the Project Management Team including staff from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), the Anoka County Highway Department (ACHD), and SRF Consulting Group.

Several meetings will be scheduled with the City Council throughout the final design process, but due to the high profile nature of this project and the level of activity that will be occurring on site during the final design process, staff wanted to engage the City Council as soon as possible.  Several public Open Houses will also be conducted during the final design process.

Background -
The Anoka County Highway Department (ACHD) has placed a high priority on completing this project and as such has been aggressively pursuing the remaining funding needed to construct the project.  As such, the ACHD expects to secure all necessary funding in the near future.  A contract was therefore recently awarded to SRF Consulting Group, Inc. to prepare final design plans and specifications for this project with the intent of beginning construction in the summer/fall of 2014, assuming the necessary funding is secured by then.
 
Soil borings are currently being gathered throughout the project area by Braun Intertec.  This information is needed to prepare a geotechnical report, which SRF Consulting Group will use to design the interchange and connecting roadways.  As the final design process progresses, numerous people and vehicles will need to visit the project area, which will likely generate many calls and questions from the public.
 
Throughout the final design process, City staff will meet regularly with staff from SRF, ACHD and MnDOT to review final design elements, particularly those that directly affect the city, its businesses and residents.  Such elements include aesthetic and architectural treatments, business signing, pedestrian facility and street lighting, property access, public utilities, and traffic staging and signing, among others.  City staff will also ensure that timely meetings are held with the public and City Council to ensure that the project is designed and constructed to minimize negative impacts to city businesses and residents.

On a related note, construction of the Riverdale Drive Reconstruction/Extension project between Armstrong Boulevard and Traprock Street will occur in 2014.  City staff will therefore work with staff from SRF, ACHD and MnDOT to ensure that any improvements completed with the Riverdale Drive project will not need to be removed or reconstructed at the time that the interchange project is constructed, at least as much as possible.

More information on the Highway 10 & Armstrong Boulevard/CSAH 83 lnterchange project can be found on the project web page at www.cityoframsey.com/Improvement_Projects.  The project web page includes information on the proposed design, funding, and schedule for the project, as well as information for pertinent project contacts and upcoming meeting schedules.