10.02 - RFP Highway 11 Corridor Study

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL �. CROW WING COUNTY STATE AID HIGHWAY 11 CORRIDOR STUDY STATE AID PROJECT NO. 018-611-025 1.0 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Crow Wing County is requesting proposals from qualified Consultants to provide professional engineering services to conduct a corridor study of Crow Wing County State Aid Highway 11 (CSAH 11) between the cities of Breezy Point and Pequot Lakes. 2.0 PROJECT NEED The CSAH 11 corridor is a rural major collector that connects Trunk Highway 371 (TH 371) to CSAH 3; a major north -south route classified as a minor arterial. This portion of CSAH 11 serves Eagle View Elementary school and a developing commercial zone located on the north side of the highway immediately across from the school. Increased traffic demand and development pressure on the CSAH 11 corridor is expected with the planned expansion of TH 371; currently scheduled for 2018. It is anticipated the segment of CSAH 11 between the existing TH 371 alignment and the future TH 371 bypass alignment will require geometric improvements to properly function after the construction of the bypass in 2018. Currently it is unknown whether the future junction of CSAH 11/TH 371 will be at- grade signalized intersection or a simple diamond interchange. The County and City of Pequot Lakes desire to understand the range of feasible alternatives for both configurations. This will essential to allow the County and City to plan for the changes to CSAH 11 in the years leading up to the construction of the TH 371 bypass. Future increases in traffic demand on CSAH 11 east of the bypass may exacerbate an existing concern at the entrances and exits to Eagle View Elementary School. It appears that the school's internal traffic pattern is underperforming at peak times and may be contributing to the underperformance of CSAH 11 in the immediate area. A solution that improves traffic safety at the school while allowing the commercial area to develop is the desired outcome. Without a plan for logical commercial development in the area, future options to address the concerns at the school may be limited or impossible. There has been a long standing desire to connect the cities of Breezy Point and Pequot Lakes with a separated, paved, and multimodal trail. It is believed that a properly installed facility may provide an alternative means for children to commute to school and provide economic benefits to both communities. To date no in -depth study has been completed to determine if such a trail is physically, environmentally, or economically feasible. Recently, local civic groups have expressed an interest in seeking grant funding for this type of project. These efforts, however, have been hindered by the lack of reliable information and questions related to its feasibility. A possible long term solution to address future congestion on CSAH 11 is a parallel route between Breezy Point and Pequot Lakes. The proposed TH 371 bypass alignment will create a new intersection at the west end of Ackerson Road near its current junction of CR 112. Combined with an improvement of Buschmann Road to the east, the potential exists to develop a parallel route that connects TH 371 to CSAH 11 north of Breezy Point. A very preliminary evaluation of the two roadways identified challenges