11-21-11 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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(�f, C/ anat?a MAYOR 11111 13Iescncr COUNCIL Ride blonlour John Kcis Michael McGraw Sllelly [toss 515 Little Canada Road, Link Canada, MN 5511.7-1600 ADMINISTRATOR (651) 766 -4029 / VAX: (65 1) 766 -404£3 .1o0 R. 1lansou www.ci.liale- canada.un1.113 MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Blesener & Members of City Council FROM: Bill Dircks, Public Works Superintendent DATE: November 18, 2011 RE: Rice Street Phase 2 Project Workshop Ramsey County Public Works is currently designing the reconstruction of Rice St. from the end of phase 1 just north of County Road 132 to Market Place Dr. Representatives will he at the workshop meeting on Monday to review the project and get comments from the City Council. The project is not scheduled to begin until the spring of 2013, with utility work and overhead line burial occurring in 2012. The project includes burying the power lines and other overhead utilities along the Rice St. corridor, adding sidewalk where none exists on both sides of the street, adding turn lanes and medians to provide for safer intersections, paving the new section with concrete rather than asphalt, and various other details. The street section is planned remain a three -lane section with north and south lanes as well as a left -turn lane down the center. There will be right turn lanes at all intersecting streets. Ramsey County also said that the street section would be sufficiently wide to turn the layout into a four -lane street if necessary in the future. The City Administrator does not remember that issue being discussed during the Rice Street planning meetings a few years ago. One major detail is the intersection of Rice St. and County Road C. Currently, Rice St. sits well above County Road C creating sight distance problems for ears traveling along County Road C crossing Rice St. Ramsey County plans to lower Rice St. approximately two feet in order to snake the intersection function better. If the intersection is more flat than the traffic lights can be phased appropriately to provide for a better flow of traffic. Another key detail of this project is the right -of -way acquisition costs. Ramsey County's policy requires cities to purchase necessary right -of -way for all street projects that don't involve federal funds. Staff is currently looking into this policy and will be discussing it further with Ramsey County officials. 1