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<br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of the City Council <br /> <br />FROM: Eric Seaburg, P.E., City Engineer <br /> <br />DATE: November 29, 2023 <br /> <br />RE: 35E/Country Drive/Little Canada Road Interchange Project – Grant Submissions <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />City staff have been working for several years to develop possible improvement projects to address <br />safety and congestion along Little Canada Road between Lakeshore Avenue and I-35E. This work <br />has been done in coordination with Ramsey County, MnDOT and FHWA staff, all of which have <br />jurisdictional authority on adjacent roadways. The following three projects are now programmed for <br />construction and are shown on the attached map: <br /> <br />• County Road C <br />o 4-lane to 3-lane conversion <br />o Pedestrian improvements <br />o Lexington Avenue in Roseville to Little Canada Road <br />o 2022 Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant Award (FY 2026) <br /> <br />• Lakeshore Avenue / Little Canada Road/ County Road C Intersection <br />o Conversion of all-way stop to roundabout <br />o Pedestrian improvements <br />o 2022 Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant Award (FY 2026) <br /> <br />• 35-E Interchange Signal Replacements <br />o Upgrades to signals, mast arms, and controller equipment <br />o Opportunity to reprogram to increase efficiency <br />o Delayed by MnDOT staff until 2027 while Little Canada Road improvements vetted <br /> <br />In addition to the three programmed projects noted above, project staff have been working diligently <br />to identify a project to address safety issues and congestion associated with the Country Drive and <br />Little Canada Road intersection. Preliminary concept-level cost estimating indicates that a project to <br />address the intersection of Country Drive and Little Canada Road may cost as much as $8.5M due to <br />complicating factors associated with right-of-way acquisition, the St. Paul Waterworks crossing, the <br />Gervais Creek crossing, and costs associated with pedestrian enhancements. <br /> <br />City staff recommends applications to the following upcoming grant programs. Multiple awards <br />would significantly reduce the need to dedicate local funding to the project. <br />