Posted: 7/2/03

Washington County will help fund Hugo road job

A resolution in support for the city of Hugoís selection of the preferred alternative for the CR-8A project was approved by the Washington County Board of Commissioners last week.

The board on June 24 also pledged its support for a cost-sharing concept for the railroad abandonment associated with this project.

Sandy Cullen, transportation manager, told the county board the city of Hugo decided to build the new four-lane divided highway along a new alignment to connect with US-61 in the vicinity of 142nd/143rd Street.

This alignment was preferred by the city because it had the least amount of social impact and the greatest potential to generate the connection to Fenway Avenue and the business park, she said.

Furthermore, this alternative did not limit access to city streets, had a positive impact on the cityís long-range plan to eliminate the rail line between 145th and 140th Streets, and had the most potential for immediate economic benefit, Cullen told the board.

This preferred alignment requires abandonment of the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe railroad line between 145th Street and 140th Street in order to connect the new CR-8 alignment to US-61.

Minnesota Commercial Railroad currently leases the track and will require replacement of current facilities in-kind as a condition to petition for track abandonment.

The board agreed to a cost-participation concept that would require the Washington County Regional Railroad Authority to pay $250,000 for the purchase of the abandoned right of way, while Hugo would pay 75 percent of the replacement of existing operations/abandonment filing, as well as consultant costs and contingency (or $195,000).

Washington County would pay for the remaining 25 percent of existing operations and abandonment filing, as well as consultant costs and contingency (or $65,000).

The railroad abandonment needs to be substantially complete by March 2004 in order for the project to proceed in a timely manner.

As a result, Cullen noted that road construction is not expected to start until 2005.

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