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lowiuine Koaa: <br />Should it stay <br />or should it go? <br />By Loirk Ham <br />About a year ago. Maple <br />Plain Mayor Jack Vigoren <br />brought up the possibility of <br />closing Townline Road south of <br />Highway 12. The mayor said the <br />intersection was dangerous. So <br />dangerous, in fact, that Vigoren <br />says MnDOT ranked the inter­ <br />section as the "third most dan­ <br />gerous uncontrolled intersection <br />ill the metro area." <br />Discussions ensued, along <br />with the possibility of putting a <br />signal li^t at the intersection, <br />where Townline Road and <br />County Road 29 intersect <br />Highway 12. MnDOT is in favor <br />of putting in a signal, but not at <br />the expense of redoing the rail­ <br />road bridge south of Highway <br />12. a project which carries a $5 <br />TOWNLINE... con'l on P. 2. <br />- - <br />Townline ... From page 1. <br />Pi'tn#..-* <br />hi <br />million price tag. according to <br />Vigoren. <br />One of the biggest concerns <br />about closing the road has been <br />response time for emergency <br />vehicles. Mayor Vigoren looked <br />into the situation and urged <br />MnDOT to consider extending <br />water under the highway to a fire <br />hydrant on the south side of <br />Highway 12. <br />"That way, when fire crews <br />got there, the water would already <br />be there," said Vigoren. who felt <br />the proposal helped address the <br />response time issue. <br />MnDOT agreed to provide the <br />water extension, at a cost of about <br />S16S.000. but only if the four <br />cities who would be most affected <br />agreed to close the road. <br />So far. Maple Plain and <br />Medina are in favor of closing the <br />road, according to Vigoren. <br />Orono held a public hearing on <br />the matter April 12 and is <br />scheduled to discuss the proposal <br />at its April 26 meeting. <br />The Independence City <br />Council feels that a traffic signal <br />at the intersection of County Road <br />83 and Highway 12. a project <br />which is scheduled for this <br />summer, may change the traffic <br />flow within the city. The council <br />also had concerns about <br />emergency vehicle response time <br />to the residents south of Highway <br />12, particularly if there is a train <br />crossing County Road 19 in town. <br />At the Independence Council's <br />last meeting, councilmembers <br />voted to send a letter to MnDOT <br />voicing their opposition to closing <br />Townline Road in order to study <br />the potential adverse affects or <br />possible change in uaffic patterns <br />after the signal light at Co. Rd. 83 <br />is installed. <br />MnDOT is in favor of putting <br />a signal at County Road 29 and <br />Highway 12, according to <br />Vigoren, who added that the <br />project is likely to happen widiin <br />the next couple of years. But <br />MnDOT's plans for the <br />intersection would include closing <br />Townline Road, said Vigoren. <br />"It really comes down to this <br />question." said Vigoren. "Do we <br />close the road now and get water <br />provided or do we close the road <br />in a couple of years and have no <br />water?" <br />Mayor Vigoren said the <br />Maple Plain Council can vote to <br />close the road without the <br />approval of the other cities if it <br />chooses. But without the four-city <br />agreement. MnDOT's offer to <br />extend the water service would be <br />rescinded, he added. <br />L.