07-11-1988 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

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HIGHWAY 12 WAYZATA TO SOUTH DAKOTA Highway 12 was one of the original seventy routes that was designated under an amendment to the Minnesota State Constitution passed on November 2, 1920. This route was one of the first routes to be paved in the state of Minnesota, in 1927. Since that time only minor improvements have been made with the principal changes to the two lane design being the alteration of curbing and overlays where necessary to improve the road surface. In the 150's upgrade to the road was explored with an effort to develop a four lane culminating in the late 1960's. A public hearing was held in Wayzata about 1968 at which time, because of the substantial opposition to change in the current design, nothing was done. Efforts by the Highway Department following that however, resulted in no further interest being able to be generated to support any improvement in the highway. Subsequently, the six lane by-pass around the City of Wayzata was completed and in 1986 work did commence on I-394 from the by-pass at Wayzata to downtown Minneapolis. The impending improvement of I-394 caused communities along the existing two lane Highway 12 to begin anticipating the impact that would be on their communities. Contact with the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 1985 indicated that there were no plans for any improvement to the existing Highway 12 design for the next 20 years. In addition to the concerns regarding the traffic impacts from I- 394 on the eastern end of the corridor, the Task Force of individuals based in Willmar began to explore ways to make significant improvements to Highway 12 as an improvement to their economic basis. During 1987 discussions were held among the four communities on the east together with meetings with representatives from the Highway 12 Task Force from Willmar.