Receive Comments on Concept Level Layout Review for Anoka County’s Interim Improvements Proposed to Bunker Lake Boulevard/County Road 116 

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to receive review comments from the Economic Development Authority on the concept level layout for Anoka County’s interim improvements proposed to Bunker Lake Boulevard/County Road 116.

Background:
This case was originally prepared for the City Council. Text from that case continues below. Staff is looking for any additional feedback from the EDA. This is not the final review, and the EDA will have additional opportunities for input before plans are approved.
 
Numerous major improvement projects are proposed along U.S. Highway 10/169 through the cities of Anoka and Ramsey between 2022 and 2025.

In 2022 and 2023, proposed Highway 10 improvements include replacing the Highway 10 bridges over the Rum River, reconstructing the grade-separated interchange at Highway 10/169 & Trunk Highway 47, reconstructing the grade-separated interchange at Highway 10/169 & Main Street, grade-separating Fairoak Avenue from Highway 10/169, and constructing a new grade-separated interchange at Highway 10/169 & Thurston Avenue.

In 2024 and 2025, proposed Highway 10 improvements include replacing the at-grade intersections at Highway 10/169 & Sunfish Lake Boulevard/CSAH 57 and Highway 10/169 & Ramsey Boulevard/CSAH 56 with grade-separated interchanges, along with replacing the adjacent at-grade BNSF Railway crossings on Sunfish Lake Boulevard and Ramsey Boulevard with grade-separated rail crossings.

During these proposed improvement projects, traffic is proposed to be reduced to one lane in each direction at times during non-winter months. This will result in delays for drivers, which will cause many of these drivers to look for alternate routes to take until the project is complete.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) enlisted SRF Consulting Group to study potential traffic impacts to nearby roadways. It was determined that Bunker Lake Boulevard will be the most commonly used alternate route since it runs parallel to and acts as a reliever route to Highway 10. It was also determined that traffic volumes on Bunker Lake Boulevard between 7^th Avenue/CSAH 7 and Armstrong Boulevard/CSAH 83 will double from 2022 through 2025, and that Bunker Lake Boulevard requires improvements to safely accommodate the added traffic.

In 2004, SRF Consulting Group prepared an Access and Corridor Study for Bunker Lake Boulevard between 7^th Avenue and Armstrong Boulevard for Anoka County and the cities of Anoka and Ramsey. The purpose of the study was to identify and evaluate existing and future transportation and access needs, to develop a long-term Corridor Plan that addresses those needs, and to provide a framework for how Bunker Lake Boulevard would need to change over time to safely accommodate planned growth in the area. A copy of the 2004 study is attached.

Figures 22 and 23 from the 2004 study, which are attached separately for reference, show the then-existing and proposed accesses and recommended access restrictions along Bunker Lake Boulevard between Sunfish Lake Boulevard and Armstrong Boulevard. These figures were used to guide discussions in 2020 regarding options for temporary improvements to Bunker Lake Boulevard to accommodate the added traffic from Highway 10. Based on those discussions, three options for completing temporary improvements to Bunker Lake Boulevard were considered including;

• Option A: Full shoulder replacement and restriping (est. cost $335K)
• Option B: Intersection improvements only (est. cost $220K)
• Option C: Intersection improvements with access consolidations (est. cost $110K)

City Staff commented on the three options. Staff noted that option C would be the least preferred due to the proposed access closures and consolidations, particularly the access closure to Center Street. Staff was informed that whichever option was chosen, federal funds were identified as the only viable funding source and that if federal funds are used to construct temporary improvements the improvements would need to be removed after the work on Highway 10 was complete. This would increase the cost of the improvements, and would likely not be received well by many due to the throw-away costs involved.

Anoka County then decided to lead the proposed interim improvements project to allow the improvements to remain in place after the Highway 10 improvements are complete. This should also allow construction of the permanent improvements to Bunker Lake Boulevard as required by the Ramsey Town Center (RTC) Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) to be delayed for some time depending on the final design of the interim improvements. Attached is a copy of the RTC JPA, which was entered into on April 12, 2005, by and between the County of Anoka and the City of Ramsey. This JPA defines various public works improvements required to support development of RTC (now The COR), along with the required processes and cost-shares associated with the improvements. As noted in the JPA, the City is ultimately required to reconstruct Bunker Lake Boulevard to a 4-lane divided section between Armstrong Boulevard and Ramsey Boulevard. This work is included in the City’s 10-year Capital Improvement Program.

On January 7th, the City received a concept level layout prepared by Anoka County depicting the proposed interim improvements to Bunker Lake Boulevard to accommodate the anticipated additional traffic from 2022 through 2025. As can be seen, Anoka County used the 2004 SRF study to guide their access restriction design efforts along Bunker Lake Boulevard based on the recommendations of Figures 22 and 23.

On January 8th, the City Engineer attended a virtual meeting with Anoka County Staff. During that meeting, Anoka County verified that Bunker Lake Boulevard is not intended to be used as a signed detour route during the Highway 10 improvement projects, but instead is anticipated to be used as a bypass route by motorists trying to avoid delays on Highway 10. Anoka County also explained that Highway 10 will be restricted to one-lane of traffic in each direction during construction in warm weather months, but that two-lanes of traffic in each direction will be maintained during winter months.

Anoka County then walked through the interim improvements shown on the attached concept level layout. In general, it was discussed that the interim improvements proposed to Bunker Lake Boulevard between Armstrong Boulevard and Ramsey Boulevard involves adding turn lanes to intersections with City Streets, which will benefit local traffic.

The segment of Bunker Lake Boulevard between Ramsey Boulevard and Sunwood Drive was reviewed next, which generally involves temporary access restrictions to Limonite Street and Connexus Energy’s access. The City Engineer stated these temporary access restrictions may be opposed to varying degrees by the City and Connexus Energy, even though they are temporary.

The segment of Bunker Lake Boulevard between Sunwood Drive and Sunfish Lake Boulevard was then reviewed, which generally involves adding a signal system at Sunwood Drive, and constructing a permanent concrete median island along Bunker Lake Boulevard to restrict movements to/from northbound Bunker Lake Boulevard at ALTRON’s access onto Bunker Lake Boulevard (which is their only access), at 143^rd Avenue, and at Basalt Street. The City Engineer stated these access restrictions will likely be opposed by many of the businesses, especially since they are permanent.

Options were discussed for relocating ALTRON’s driveway to 143^rd Avenue, or for adding a bypass lane on northbound Bunker Lake Boulevard to allow their access to remain open to all movements. Anoka County said they would meet with the owner to discuss their access options in more detail.

Anoka County then said they would be seeking direction from the City as to whether the City would be interested in paying to widen Sunwood Drive to add protected turn lanes at the intersection with Bunker Lake Boulevard. An alternate layout was later provided to the City showing alternate intersection improvements at Bunker Lake Boulevard and Sunwood Drive to provide for dedicated left turn, through and right turn lanes on Sunwood Drive. However, no cost estimates were provided.

On January 15th, the City Engineer attended a virtual meeting with Anoka County and MnDOT Staff. The intent of that meeting was to discuss the proposed improvements from the perspective of the different agencies. The same concept level layout was reviewed and much of the discussion was directed to addressing questions from MnDOT Staff. Anoka County noted they were still trying to schedule meetings with local business owners most impacted by the proposed improvements to obtain their feedback and allow the concept level layout to be refined and cost estimates to be prepared. These could then be shared with the City to obtain formal City review and comments on the concept design and cost sharing options.

On January 19th, the City Engineer informed the Public Works Committee of Anoka County’s plan to construct interim improvements to Bunker Lake Boulevard in 2021, and that Staff anticipates receiving an updated layout and cost estimates soon to allow for formal review and comment by the City. It was also noted that the design, review and approval process would move along quickly due to the need to bid the project this spring. The Public Works Committee commented that they wanted to make sure the City was able to provide comments before the design was too far along to change.

On February 2nd, City Staff received additional input from Anoka County, including that the signal system proposed at Bunker Lake Boulevard and Sunwood Drive will be a temporary span-wire signal system. Therefore, when the permanent signal system is constructed in the future the entire intersection will need to be reconstructed so any improvements made to this intersection in 2021 will only be temporary. Anoka County also wanted to stress that they support reviewing the attached layout with Council, but asked that we stress that this is only a concept level layout and that the access restrictions as shown are less restrictive then the long term plans for the corridor. Therefore, while the attached concept level layout reflects Anoka County’s preferred design, they are open to modifying the design based on input received from the City and local businesses. That said, if modifications are made to the interim design, the permanent design will incorporate the access restrictions reflected in the attached layout and in the 2004 Access and Corridor Study for Bunker Lake Boulevard. Anoka County will continue to use this as their guide for closing and restricting accesses along Bunker Lake Boulevard.

Attached is a resolution including general comments for Council consideration based on Staff’s review of the attached concept level layout. These comments are intended to spark Council discussions on several high-level items, but they are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of comments. Included is a comment requesting that Anoka County assist the City in constructing watermain improvements under and along Bunker Lake Boulevard in conjunction with the interim Bunker Lake Boulevard improvements as required to support the City’s proposed water treatment plant.

The purpose of this case is to allow Staff to review the concept level layout with the City Council and to capture Council’s comments in the attached resolution, which will then be shared with Anoka County with a request to modify the attached layout to address Council’s comments, then to submit a revised layout for additional review and comment by the City. 

Notifications are not required for this case. 

On April 12, 2020, Council authorized Staff to work with Anoka County Staff to develop a Joint Powers Agreement to define the respective costs and responsibilities of both parties pertaining to completing a traffic study along Bunker Lake Boulevard between Armstrong Boulevard and Sunfish Lake Boulevard. The intent of the traffic study was to verify the required capacity improvements to Bunker Lake Boulevard. However, as Staff started working with Anoka County to develop the JPA, Anoka County informed the City that MnDOT had hired SRF to complete a traffic study on Bunker Lake Boulevard between Armstrong Boulevard and 7^th Avenue, and that the results of this study could potentially be used in lieu of completing our own study. This JPA was therefore never developed.

No costs are associated with this request.

Anoka County is preparing cost estimates to allow cost-share discussions to be conducted in the near future for the proposed 2021 interim improvements. As a result of the cost-share discussions, amendments to the attached RTC JPA may be warranted. 

Receive review comments from the Economic Development Authority on the concept level layout for Anoka County’s interim improvements proposed to Bunker Lake Boulevard/County Road 116.