City Commits $10K to New MnDOT Study of Highway 36

The Oakdale city council committed $10,000 to a new study of Highway 36 during its meeting Tuesday night.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will be conducting a new corridor study of portions of Highway 36 to determine a long-term plan for traffic improvements. The study will specifically look at the intersections of Highway 36 with Highway 120 (Century Avenue) and Hadley Avenue. 

MnDOT conducted a corridor plan of Highway 36 in the 1990s, but since then the roadway has evolved beyond what the original study anticipated. 

The study will cost $200,000. MnDOT has budgeted $150,000 for its share and is seeking help from local agencies to cover the remaining $50,000. MnDOT is asking Oakdale, Washington County, Ramsey County and North St. Paul to contribute. 

The North St. Paul city council recently passed a resolution that does not support the corridor study. The resolution states the study should be completely funded by MnDOT and the study should also include Highway 120 (Century Avenue) from Highway 5 to I-694. 

City Engineer Brian Bachmeier recommended the city support the study since Hadley Avenue and Century Avenue intersect Highway 36.

"Staff recommends that we support MnDOT's plan to update the corridor plan for Highway 36," Bachmeier said. "We say that we have a role to play with our one street," he added, referencing Hadley Avenue. 

The $10,000 will come out of the engineering and operating budget. The study would wrap up by June 2013.

"I wholeheartedly support the devloping plan," said Councilman Stan Karwoski. "I hope the plan helps execute upgrades not only for the business development in that corridor...but just as importantly for the safety aspect of that interchange."

Bachmeier said that any improvements MnDOT proposes will need city consent.

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