County Board Approves Contract For Highway 36 Study, Design

Press release from Washington County:

July 12, 2021

Alliant Engineering will conduct a study and do a preliminary design on the intersection of Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue after the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a $1.03 million contract with the company July 6.

As intersections along the Highway 36 corridor have been improved and some converted to grade-separated intersections, the intersection at Highway 36 at Lake Elmo Avenue, or County State Aid Highway 17, operates as an at-grade intersection with a wood-pole signal system and inherent safety and operational issues. Growing traffic demands and safety concerns on both roadways justify the need for a grade-separated design, which is consistent with the Minnesota Department of Transportation's goals for the Highway 36 corridor. This intersection, along with Century Avenue, will be the last signalized intersections on Highway 36 west of Stillwater Boulevard.
The overall goal of the project is to perform a comprehensive review of alternatives, culminating with identification of a preferred alternative for the intersection. Improvements will include improvements to safety, pavement, drainage, and pedestrian use, as well as congestion and access management.

Preliminary design, along with public engagement, will determine the final project scope, right-of-way acquisition required, and cost estimates.

Alliant Engineering will be expected to provide community engagement, a concept study report, a layout for the project that will be approved by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, as well as resolutions of support from local municipalities and environmental documents.

The contract is funded by highway state aid and local contributions. Project construction is scheduled to begin in 2025. It is estimated that the project will cost $35 million; so far, $10 million has been provided by the federal government. It is anticipated that the county and cities will contribute $10 million to the project, and the state will contribute $15 million to the project.

This press release was produced by Washington County. The views expressed here are the author's own.