Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Motorists interested in taking a spin on a double lane roundabout in Forest Lake may not have to wait until 2008 to drive the circle.

One roundabout could be built at the intersection of W. Broadway Ave. (CR-2) and Lake Street (US-61) in 2007 under a plan floated this week by Mayor Terry Smith.

Smith has asked Washington County engineers and consultants to review the intersection plan for construction a year from now. The main downtown intersection is one of seven proposed for roundabouts in a joint city-county plan for construction in 2008.

The proposal calls for roundabouts on W. Broadway Ave. at SW 19th St. (west of I-35), the west and east ramps at I-35, 12th St., 7th St., 4th St. and Lake Street.

In a letter to fellow city council members last week, Smith said he has asked Mike Rogers, county engineer on the project, to accelerate plans for the Lake and Broadway intersection. ìI feel this is essential to the overall project,î Smith said.

Rogers, contacted Monday, said the county would take a look at the idea. ìI think it has some merits,î Rogers said.

Why 2007?

Smith said two reasons were driving his idea to do Lake and Broadway in 2007.

The work next year would coordinate plans with the Minnesota Department of Transportation which will repave US-61 in 2007. Having a roundabout open in 2007 would also increase public exposure and provide a preview to roundabouts for the driving public, Smith said in his letter.

ìThis proposal is driven primarily by my concern for traffic management during reconstruction of Broadway, but also has the benefit of public exposure to a roundabout,î Smith wrote.

Calling Lake and Broadway a ìmajor bottleneckî for traffic, Smith said construction of a roundabout at this location first would give Forest Lake residents a feel for how roundabouts work.

There are actually two construction phases tied to the MnDOT plan. MnDOT has funding to mill and overlay US-61 through the entire corridor. In addition, the city of Forest Lake is planning to add new street lights, sidewalks and curb and gutter as part of its downtown redevelopment effort.

The city work will extend from 2nd Ave. S. to 2nd Ave. N.

County work

Rogers said there are pros to doing this intersection first. ìYouíd have that intersection done,î he said, pointing to the full scale project targeted to begin in the spring of 2008. ìYouíd be tying up Highway 61 only once.î

Rogers said MnDOT is now on schedule to do its US-61 improvements in the second half of the summer next year.

Rogers said preliminary plans for Broadway are nearing completion and the final design stage will begin this fall. Talks with property owners for the necessary land acquisition are also taking place, he said.

Rogers said it has been determined that for the Lake and Broadway roundabout to go in, two total takings will be needed.

That means the Gary Kerkow owned Ameriprise Building, 8 N. Lake St. and the now closed Forest Lake Gas Mart, 20 S. Lake St., would be acquired by the county to provide room to build the roundabouts.

ìThe timing is the big key and how does it fit in with the rest of the project,î Rogers said, adding that sewer, water and storm sewer coordination must also take place.

He said county engineers plan to meet with other consultants on the project to ìbrainstormî the idea to see if all the pieces fit.

The project could be completed in three to four months if traffic is detoured off the two roads at the intersection, Rogers said. One early idea, he said, is to use NW and SW Centennial Drive as a detour route during construction.

ìThe traffic issues during reconstruction of Broadway will no doubt be challenging for the city,î Smith said in his letter to council members. ìA completed through-corridor on Highway 61 with a roundabout at Lake and Broadway will allow residents to freely travel north on 61 to the Highway 8 overpass and easily enter southbound I-35 or possibly continue north three miles to catch northbound I-35 in Wyoming.î

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Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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