Consider Recommending City Council Approval of Plans and Specifications and Authorization to Advertise for Bids for Riverdale Drive Reconstruction, Improvement Project #21-00

urpose:
The purpose of this case is to consider recommending City Council approval of plans and specifications and authorization to advertise for bids for Riverdale Drive Reconstruction, Improvement Project #21-00.

Background:
City of Ramsey Improvement Project 21-00 proposes to reconstruct approximately 2,925 lineal feet (0.55 miles) of Riverdale Drive east of Feldspar Street. The project limits extend from Feldspar Street to a point approximately 200 feet west of Sunfish Lake Boulevard.  This matches what Staff anticipates will be the terminus of the Ramsey Gateway Highway 10 improvements west of Sunfish Lake Boulevard.  However, the final terminus will be determined after the preliminary design concept for the U.S. Highway 10/169 & Sunfish Lake Boulevard interchange is approved by the project partners, which is currently anticipated to occur in early February of 2021.
 
On November 24, 2020, the Ramsey City Council accepted a proposal from Bolton & Menk, Inc. to provide design services for this project including collecting topographic survey data, completing geotechnical evaluations, preparing plans and specifications complying with Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) State Aid standards, providing required submittals to State Aid, and bidding services. The geotechnical evaluation results are not yet available but may be available by the time the January Public Works Committee meeting is held. If so, Staff will share the primary findings of the evaluation.
 
Riverdale Drive is included in the City’s Municipal State Aid (MSA) system, and is required to meet 10-ton pavement design strength.
 
Municipal utilities, including water and sanitary sewer, exist within the project area. Sanitary sewer improvements are not proposed with the project as all sanitary sewer lines were cleaned and televised and the results verified that repairs are not immediately needed or anticipated during the design life of the improvements. Since repairs were made to several water service lines along this segment of Riverdale Drive in recent years, all water service lines are proposed to be inspected at the right of way to confirm each line is properly tied back to the trunk line to help prevent future leaks and repairs during the design life of the proposed improvements. The water supply system was also leak tested, which verified that repairs are not immediately needed or anticipated during the design life of the improvements.
 
Storm sewer improvements are proposed with this project, including adding trunk storm sewer from Dolomite Street to the Mississippi River outlet pipe approximately 800-feet to the east to convey storm water runoff from 6710 Highway 10 NW to the Mississippi River. In addition, a structural pollution control device is proposed to be constructed on the north end of the same river outlet pipe to remove pollutants from the storm water runoff before discharging it into the river.
 
The overall width of Riverdale Drive is proposed to be reduced 10-feet throughout the corridor, resulting in a total width of 34-feet from face-of-curb to face-of-curb.  To accomplish this, two existing 6-foot wide on-street bike lanes on the west end of Riverdale Drive are proposed to be removed, as is the 10-foot wide parking lane along the north side. An 8-foot wide on-street parking lane will be provided along the entire south side of Riverdale Drive to accommodate overflow parking for adjacent properties, as well as parking for the proposed river overlook east of Dolomite Street. Through lanes are proposed to be 12-feet wide, with a 2-foot curb reaction distance on the north side to better accommodate truck traffic and to mitigate loss of useable pavement in the winter due to snow and ice accumulations along curbs.
 
The existing 10-foot wide off-street bituminous trail north of Riverdale Drive that terminates approximately 300 feet east of Dolomite Street is proposed to be extended to Feldspar Street. This will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to use the off-street trail, which will be separated from Riverdale Drive by an 8-foot wide boulevard that will better accommodate snow storage and reduce drifting of snow along the corridor compared to the existing 0 to 2-foot wide boulevard.
 
A 6-foot wide concrete sidewalk was contemplated along the south side of Riverdale Drive between Dolomite Street and Feldspar Street to enhance pedestrian access to Riverdale Park for pedestrians with origins or destinations south of Riverdale Drive.  However, these improvements were estimated to cost $110,000 so it was determined that the estimated cost outweighed the benefits so this sidewalk segment is not proposed to be constructed at this time.   

Also contemplated was construction of the Mississippi River observation deck as proposed for construction on sheet 173 of the 2021 - 2030 CIP, which is attached for reference. Instead, staff recommends letting the development of the private property drive the construction of the observation deck. 

Staff estimates 15 minutes will be required to present this case and respond to questions. 

Observations:
Staff will present pertinent draft plan sheets during the meeting, as well as other applicable information and updates on estimated costs, funding, and project schedule. 
 
Alternatives:
Alternative #1 – Motion recommending City Council approval of plans and specifications and authorization to advertise for bids for Riverdale Drive Reconstruction, Improvement Project #21-00.

Alternative #2 – Motion of other.  

The draft engineer’s opinion of probable project costs for constructing the proposed improvements outlined in the plans is $900,000. Estimated project costs include an additional 23-percent for administrative, engineering, finance and legal fees, which totals $1,107,000.
 
The street improvements proposed with this project are identified in the 2021-2030 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for construction in 2021 at an estimated project cost of $836,000.
 
The improvements are proposed to be funded using a combination of MSA Funds, Water Utility Funds, and Stormwater Funds. 

Staff recommends alternative #1. 

Other Staff recommendations include not constructing concrete sidewalk south of Riverdale Drive as part of this project and not constructing the Mississippi River observation deck as part of this project. 
 

Motion recommending City Council approval of plans and specifications and authorization to advertise for bids for Riverdale Drive Reconstruction, Improvement Project #21-00.