Authorize Evaluation of Highway 10 & Ramsey Boulevard Intersection Grade Separation Alternatives - Please Note:  this Case was Added at the Meeting.

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to consider authorizing City Staff to accept Bolton & Menk, Inc.’s attached proposal to evaluate design alternatives for grade-separated Highway 10 & Ramsey Boulevard intersection improvements including a High-T intersection as outlined in the Highway 10 Access Planning Study, and a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) per the City’s stated preference.

Background:
In April of 2013, MnDOT initiated the Highway 10 Access Planning Study over a seven (7) mile corridor of U.S. Highway 10 between the Rum River in the City of Anoka and the westerly edge of the City of Ramsey.  The intent of the Study was to identify fiscally-responsible, high-benefit, incremental improvements that will ultimately work towards the conversion of U.S. Highway 10 to freeway status. MnDOT and its project partner, Anoka County, hired consulting engineer Bolton & Menk, Inc. to complete the Study.
 
Upon completing the Study in the fall of 2014, the City of Ramsey adopted attached supporting Resolution #14-10-204 on October 28^th, 2014.  This resolution clearly states the City of Ramsey’s preference for full access, grade-separated, inverted single-point interchanges on Highway 10 at both Sunfish Lake and Ramsey Boulevards to maximize safety and mobility while balancing the economic development needs of existing properties.
 
Given the City of Ramsey’s preference for a SPUI, and understanding that the completed Study does not contain the necessary information to apply for state or federal funding for a SPUI, Bolton & Menk, Inc. submitted the attached proposal to the City of Ramsey for evaluating property impacts and estimated costs associated with both types of grade-separated interchanges on Highway 10 at Ramsey Boulevard.  Below is a summary of Bolton & Menk, Inc.’s proposal.
 
Bolton & Menk’s Proposed Services –
 
1)      Prepare a conceptual design layout and project cost estimate of a High-T intersection at TH 10/Ramsey Blvd including an underpass of the BNSF railroad and associated right-of-way acquisition, access revisions, and frontage road connections. 
2)      Prepare a conceptual design layout and project cost estimate of a Single Point Urban Interchange at TH 10/Ramsey Blvd including an underpass of the BNSF railroad and associated right-of-way acquisition, access revisions, and frontage road connections. 
3)      Present both alternatives at one (1) meeting with city staff. 
 
Bolton & Menk’s Estimated Fees –
 
Project Manager - QA/QC (Chris)
               16 hrs x $178/hr =               $2,848
          
Professional Design Engineer (Derek)
               96 hrs x 110/hr =               $10,560
 
Senior CAD Technician (John)         
               32 hrs x $105/hr   =             $3,360
 
TOTAL ESTIMATED FEE =         $16,768
 
If authorized tonight, Bolton & Menk can provide final draft layouts and cost estimates during the week of April 4^th, 2016, which will allow staff to complete a TIGER grant application for the proposed Ramsey Boulevard railroad underpass and preferred Highway 10 grade-separated interchange improvements at Ramsey Boulevard.  Additional funding applications from other applicable state and federal funding sources would subsequently be completed to secure the necessary funding to continue advancement of this project.

Observations:
The Highway 10 Access Planning Study identified over twenty prioritized improvement projects that can be completed incrementally over a number of years to achieve over 90% of the safety and mobility benefits of a full-freeway conversion, but at approximately half the cost.  The Study also identified eligible state and federal funding sources for each proposed improvement project along the corridor to allow each of the local agencies (City of Anoka, City of Ramsey, and Anoka County) to request external funding from applicable state and federal funding sources to allow advancement of individual projects.

For the Study to be successful, continued partnership with the City of Anoka and Anoka County will be critical as projects are advanced. As the Study priorities indicate, after the interchange at Highway 10 and Armstrong Boulevard/CR 83 is completed, improvements at Fairoak Avenue and Thurston Avenue in the City of Anoka are to be completed next.  That said, multiple stand-alone projects and local road connections within Ramsey can move forward simultaneously.  This includes the grade-separated railroad underpasses on Ramsey and Sunfish Lake Boulevards, and the grade-separated intersection improvements on Highway 10 at Ramsey Boulevard, as long as project funding sources are not directly competitive.

Significant cost savings should be realized by completing the railroad underpass and Highway 10 grade-separated intersection improvements on Ramsey Boulevard at the same time.  The proposed study will quantify the amount of this anticipated savings. 
 
Alternatives:
Alternative #1 - Motion authorizing Bolton & Menk, Inc. to evaluate Highway 10 & Ramsey Boulevard intersection grade separation alternatives at a cost not-to-exceed $16,768.

Alternative #2 - Motion denying authorization for Bolton & Menk, Inc.to evaluate Highway 10 & Ramsey Boulevard intersection grade separation alternatives at this time.

The Public Improvement Revolving (PIR) Fund is proposed to pay for the evaluation work to be completed by Bolton & Menk, including project deliverables and required meeting attendance.

Authorize City Staff to accept Bolton & Menk, Inc.’s attached proposal to evaluate two design alternatives for grade-separated Highway 10 & Ramsey Boulevard intersection improvements including a High-T intersection and a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) at a cost not-too-exceed $16,768.

Authorize Bolton & Menk, Inc. to evaluate Highway 10 & Ramsey Boulevard intersection grade separation alternatives at a cost not-to-exceed $16,768.