11-13-1990 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Citizen ’s CommA-iee Minutes October 16, 1990 Page 2 4. Mainline T.H. 12; and 5. New southern alignment, generally paralleling or crossing between the Luce Line Trail and Watertown Road (on the east), then proceeding west-northwest to bypass Maple Plain and Delano and reconnect with existing T.H. 12 west of the T.H, 25 intersection in Franklin Township. Dallam noted the several variations and crossovers that could occur with each alternative, and the flexibility of their current placement as shown. The purpose is to identify potentially feasible corridors for further study. Once the data is assembled to identify potential environmental and traffic impacts, then the Goals/Issues/Concems for each affected community will be applied and evaluated. Committee members discussed the alternatives - diverting trips to T.H. 55, joining T.H. 12 and T.H. 55 on the east end, and impacts to the metro and outsiate highway systems as a result of improving T.H. 12 via T.H, 55 (example: potential need to upgrade 1-494). As a possible alternative, T.H. 55 would be upgraded to a high-speed route to be able to attract trips. J. Knutson (HNTB) then explained traffic growth on T.H. 12 using 20 and 30 year projections from historical growth rates, using between 2 and 4 percent growth scenarios. He also explained right-of-way needs for freeway and expressway standards, and explained the differences in design and access between them. The preliminary layouts prepared for the Orono/Long L-ake area were then presented, which showed both freeway and expressway scenarios. Knutson pointed out possible locations for grade-separated interchanges ard potential environmental issues with each. Questions on the layouts were received by the Committee: Dayton asked whether the original southern route (from the 1960’s) would be studied. Winston suggested that through traffic be rerouted to T.H. 55 (at freeway standard) and make alterations to the current alignment (i,e. mini-bypasses) and limit access to T.H. 12 at various locations, as a con^>romise. Dallam and Hay responded ihat T.H. 12 would remain a 2-lane roadway with potential turn-back problems to Hennepin County (may require certain improvements to be made). Johnson asked how future Hennepin County roadway improvements (example: C.R. 6) would affcrt the T.H. 12 project. Dallam added that Hennepin County is now represented on the Technical Committee to address this type of question. Dayton asked how the Long Lake bottleneck (where the fr’ceway section in Wayzata ends) would be resolved and how much right-of-way is available for the south alternative (especially with railroad considerations). Hay, Dallam, and Knutson responded that 4 lanes would ease filtering problems, and that the southern route would probably abut the railroad right-of- way.