Highway 371 North Improvement Project

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Pequot Lakes - Hwy 371 North July 19,2005 Page 6of12 We would anticipate as part of any realignment,the County would `turn back' to the City Front Street and Main Street west of TH 371 as well as Main Street east of TH 371 out to the connection of the "new"CSAH 11 with the present CSAH 11. 37. The Committee is very concerned with the speed limit through town. The present speed limit on TH 371 within a portion of the `urban core' is 35-mph. The City wants to keep this same speed via the use of minimal shy distances to curbs and medians,minimal shoulders, aesthetics, and other means that still provide for a safe roadway. MnDOT could not promise that the speed limit would remain at 35-mph. MnDOT's process for setting the speed limit is to post an interim speed limit after construction is complete. After about 6 months to a year, MnDOT comes out and does a speed study. The final speed limit is then set based off the range of speeds observed(generally, the majority of people will travel only as fast as they feel comfortable). MnDOT is planning a curb and gutter section through town to try and make the highway "feel" different (a little closer-in)than a rural, more open,ditch-lined highway. The present layout has concrete medians from south of Derksen Road up to north of the Paul Bunyan Trail bridge crossing TH 371. These medians will give a sense of an urban feel as opposed to a rural feel and should help traffic slow down. On the west side, curb and gutter is presently shown to go from Morehouse Drive up to north of the Paul Bunyan Trail Bridge crossing TH 371. On the east side, curb and gutter is presently shown to go from about the Trail Building up to the Paul Bunyan Trail Bridge crossing TH 371. Curb and gutter will give that urban,hopefully slower, feel. It was suggested that MnDOT extend the curb and gutter further south on both sides, probably out to match the limits of the concrete median. This will minimize sending a mixed message on type of section(urban with concrete median in the middle but rural with ditch on the right) and give a more consistent urban feel throughout town. This topic needs further discussion. 38. Safe pedestrian/school children crossing of the new four-lane highway with turn lanes is an issue. With only one traffic signal at CSAH I l/Main Street, it appears this is the only designated pedestrian crossing. JAI30PQLAK\025-MnDOT TH371 Improvements\Meetings\071905 Council Workshop update-memo.doc