Public meetings and events
Upcoming
Information about upcoming meetings will be posted as details become available.
Completed
- On Wed, May 25, a public meeting was held at Anoka-Hennepin Education Service Center.
- During the month of September 2021 residents, businesses, commuters and stakeholders had the opportunity to share problems, concerns, experiences and priorities for the Hwy 47 and BNSF railroad crossing. There were 1,039 surveys completed, and the responses are being used by MnDOT to identify transportation problems and solutions to address those problems.
Top concerns with delays due to:
- Trains and gate timing at the railroad crossing
- Rush hour backups
- Blocking due to vehicles turning into side roads and driveways
Top concerns with safety due to:
- Emergency Services response times
- Sight lines at and near the railroad crossing
- Tight curves
- Drivers taking alternate routes through neighborhoods
- Not enough separation of cars to bikes and pedestrians
Top improvements in the project area:
- Provide either an overpass or underpass at the railroad crossing
- Improve conditions for emergency services
- Make road wider with either more lanes or turn lanes
- Ease the tight curves
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Public meeting information
On Wed, May 25, a public meeting was held at Anoka-Hennepin Education Service Center. The information from the meeting is shown below; please click on the drop-down headers to read about the challenges, priorities and recommended alternatives.
Hwy 47 in Anoka project process
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- Evaluate the BNSF railroad crossing
- Evaluate Martin St. and Pleasant St. intersections
- Evaluate Hwy 47 alignment
BNSF Railroad crossing
We evaluated the Hwy 47 (Ferry St) and BNSF crossing and identified these challenges:
- The intersection of Hwy 47 at the BNSF railroad crossing in Anoka has had many years of safety and delay issues. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Railroad Administration this crossing was deemed one of the highest needs for improvements due to:
- Lots of vehicle and train traffic.
- Trains traveling as fast as 75 mph.
- Major property damages.
- Serious injuries and fatalities.
These are our priorities in considering alternatives for the crossing:
- Safety: Drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, trains
- Traffic flow: Faster drive times, quicker for emergency services
- Trail space: Multi-use, pedestrians, bicyclists
More than 1,000 people shared important feedback in fall of 2021. This feedback confirmed many of the same issues and problems that had been identified in the data analysis of traffic levels and crash rates.
Recommended Alternative
Key elements
- Two lane traffic bridge over railroad
- Separates drivers from the trains on a bridge over the tracks.
- Allows for future widening to four lanes
- Sidewalk/trail also elevated over railroad tracks
- Separates pedestrians and bicyclists from the trains on a bridge over the tracks.
- Meets ADA compliance guidelines for grade (slope) of sidewalk.
Scale not reflective of actual proposed bridge.
Dismissed alternatives
- Roadway tunnel under railroad
- Disadvantages: Issues of constructability, maintenance of railroad traffic, groundwater and contamination concerns.
- Railroad overpass above traffic
- Disadvantages: There are longer areas of impacts, including the train station and river bridges.
Intersections south of railroad crossing
We evaluated both Martin St. and Pleasant St. intersections south of the crossing and identified these challenges:
- Proximity of roadway overpass of the railroad tracks.
- Drivers experiencing backups and delays.
- Anticipated increase in vehicles in the years ahead.
- Safety of pedestrians and drivers at each intersection.
These are our priorities in considering alternatives for the intersections:
- Maintain pedestrian access and crossings.
- Support future capacity for the road.
- Improve safety for drivers and pedestrians.
- Maintain access for residents.
- Minimize traffic impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.
Ferry St. at Pleasant St.
Recommended alternative
Alternative 2: Added independent left turn lanes
Key elements:
- Left turn lanes are added for northbound, eastbound and westbound traffic
- Southbound left turn lane is extended
- Pedestrian access and crossings stay the same
Benefits:
- Location of northbound and southbound turn lanes improve safety and operations at the intersection
- Can accommodate future capacity
Dismissed alternative
Alternative 1: No traffic lane changes
Key elements:
- Traffic lanes stay the same
- Southbound left turn lane is extended
- Pedestrian access and crossings stay the same
Disadvantages:
- May not meet capacity needs in the future
- Location of left turn lanes limits visibility
Ferry St. at Martin St.
Recommended alternative
Alternative 3: Access option
Key elements:
- Access to Martin St. from Hwy 47 is maintained
- Access from Martin St. to southbound Hwy 47
- Improved pedestrian access with a Hwy 47 crossing with a pedestrian refuge median north of Martin St.
Benefits
- Provides the most access to and from Hwy 47 compared to the other alternatives
- Minimal traffic diversion through the neighborhood
Dismissed alternatives
Alternative 1: Minimal access
Key elements:
- Access at Martin St. and Hwy 47 is replaced with a cul-de-sac
- Limits access to the west to minimize property impacts
Disadvantages:
- Results in largest rerouting of traffic through the neighborhood to and from Pleasant St. to access Hwy 47
Alternative 2: In only
Key elements:
- Closes southbound and northbound Hwy 47 access to westbound Martin St.
- Reduces property impacts while still allowing access to Hwy 47 southbound from Martin St. eastbound
Disadvantages:
- Northbound left turn and southbound right turn vehicles would be rerouted to Pleasant St., resulting in increased traffic through neighborhoods
Alternative 4: Out only
Key elements:
- Closes eastbound Martin St. access to Hwy 47
- Reduces property impacts while still allowing access to westbound Martin St from Hwy 47
Alternative 5: Right in, right out
Key elements:
- Closes access to northbound Hwy 47 from eastbound Martin St.
- Provides more access to and from Martin St. compared to other alternatives
Disadvantages:
- Northbound left turn vehicles would be rerouted to Pleasant St. and through neighborhood. Resulting in increase in traffic through neighborhoods.
Hwy 47/Ferry St road alignment
We evaluated the Hwy 47/Ferry St. road alignment and identified these challenges:
- Speed limit range is inconsistent in the area
- Multiple businesses and properties, and parks may be impacted
- Roadway curves create safety issues
These are our priorities in evaluating the alternatives:
- Minimize impacts on Rum River
- Consider roadway curve improvements
- Consider the impacts to businesses, properties, parks
Alternatives
Alignment 1
Key elements:
- Requires relocation of main entrance of Alter Metals to Garfield St.
- Does not change road curves or speed limit
- Impacts to Rum River floodway and state-designated Wild and Scenic River
- Minimal impact to Anoka County Fairgrounds property
- No impact to Rum River South County Park resources
Alignment 2
Key elements
- Major impacts to Alter Metals property
- No impacts to Rum River floodway
- Minimal impacts to Rum River state-designated Wild and Scenic River
- Minimal impacts to Anoka County Fairgrounds property
- Minimal impact to Rum River South County Park resources
- Improves the road curve which eliminates the need for a lower speed limit
Alignment 5
Key elements
- Some impacts to Alter Metals property
- No impacts to Rum River floodway
- Minimal impacts to Rum River state-designated Wild and Scenic River
- Minimal impacts to Anoka County Fairgrounds property
- Replacement of Rum River South County Park land required
- Improves the road curve which eliminates the need for a lower speed limit
- Proposed speed limit in the project area is 35 mph
- Proposed road is a three-lane with turn lanes at intersections
Dismissed Alternatives
Dismissed: Alignment 3
Key elements
- Major impacts to Rum River floodway and state-designated Wild and Scenic River
- Impacts to Anoka County Fairgrounds property
- Impacts to City well house
- Replacement of Rum River South County Park land required
Dismissed: Alignment 4
Key elements:
- Alternative minimizes impacts to Alter Metals property and operations.
- Impacts to Rum River floodway and state-designated Wild and Scenic River
- Impacts to Anoka County Fairgrounds property
- Replacement of Rum River South County Park land required