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On the Need for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet Findings of Fact Bituminous Roadways, Inc. Hot Mix Asphalt Plant Project Conclusions of Law Columbus, Minnesota And Order 11 Traffic Concerns 62. Trucks will enter and exit the Project property from CSAH 54 using the northernmost access drive as the primary entrance to the Project property, and exit the Project property at the south access drive back out to CSAH 54. 63. The MPCA reviewed a technical memorandum from Bryant Ficek, Professional Engineer (P.E.) and Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (P.T.O.E) dated July 13, 2017 (Appendix A of the Petition, Attachment 1 to Findings). Based on the information in the July 2017 memo, Bituminous worked with the Anoka County Highway Department, providing information regarding the Project design and expected truck traffic. The Anoka County Highway Department reviewed Bituminous’ information, provided Bituminous with questions and comments, and as a result, Spack Consulting made revisions to address the Anoka County Highway Department comments. Anoka County Highway Department cannot provide final approvals on the Project design until either the MPCA denies the petition or Bituminous has completed the environmental review process. 64. According to the July 2017 memo information, the CSAH 54 traffic levels are expected to remain below the planning-level capacity threshold for a two-lane road with the added Project traffic, both under existing and future 2030 traffic projects. Below is a copy of a table from the July 2017 memo that compares CSAH 54 Daily Volumes: Scenario Daily Volume Planning-Level Threshold1 Existing Traffic2 Without proposed development With proposed development4 1,400 1,660 11,500-19,000 vehicles per day Projected 2030 Traffic3 Without proposed development With proposed development4 7,300 7,560 11,500-19,000 vehicles per day 1Capacity range for a two-lane road, if exceed indicates congestion 2Based on 2015 Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) traffic volume maps 3Projected 2030 volume from the Anoka County Transportation Plan 4Assumes traffic from a peak day for the proposed Project and assumes an even 50-50 split between traffic headed north and headed south 65. In addition, MPCA staff reviewed a MnDOT 2015 traffic map for Anoka County, which indicates CSAH 54, immediately north of the Project property, has a 2015 average annual daily traffic (AADT) number listed as 3,100, higher than the amount Anoka County is reporting. The same map also indicates an AADT of 81,000 at a location slightly north of the Project property, where 35E/35W begins to merge. http://www.dot.state.mn.us/traffic/data/maps/indexmaps/2015/2G.pdf The Proposer’s estimated increase in Project-related truck traffic compared to Anoka County’s reported existing AADT conditions for CSAH 54, is approximately 18%; the Proposer’s estimated increase in Project-related truck traffic compared to MnDOT’s existing AADT conditions, is approximately 8%; the Proposer’s estimated increase in Project-related truck traffic at CSAH 54 compared to existing 35E/35W AADT conditions is .003 %. 66. In 2011, Anoka County, the City of Columbus and MnDOT began a study to address traffic safety and traffic operation concerns at the I-35/Lake Drive interchange, which includes CSAH 54. In 2013, this study was completed. As an outcome of this study and several open house meetings with local