by John McLoone and Jack McLoone

The Hwy. 316 Improvement Project cleared tis final approval with passage of the $1.9 billion state bonding bill in the house and senate last Thursday during a special session.

As a results of that, work on the project can start in the spring. Also included in the bonding bill was money for updates to Hastings City Hall.

The Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce commended local lawmakers for their help.

“A special thank you is due to Senator Bigham and Representative Jurgens for their commitment and persistence to pass the bonding bill,” a chamber statement said.

“They voted for tax relief for small businesses and farmers at a time when they needed it most. This bonding bill will provide money for local projects including the HWY 316 road construction project and updates to Hastings City Hall. They did this at a time when politicians don’t agree on much, but they put our hometown and main street businesses first. They deserve our thanks and support.” About Hwy. 316 Project On December 3rd, 2018, former Hastings Mayor Paul Hicks signed a resolution in support of the recommended scope and features for the 2021 Trunk Highway 316 improvements. Since then, the Minnesota Department See Highway 316 Page 11

The Highway 316 project will start in the Spring Highway 316 construction From Page 1

of Transportation (MnDOT) and the City of Hastings have been hard at work to improve the safety of local residents in that area.

MnDOT Metro District South Area Engineer and Highway 316 Project Manager Molly Kline briefed the City Council this summer on the project.

Kline presented a graphic that her project team has held close for a form of reference. The graph shows what they heard at the neighborhood meetings and open houses.

Access, speed reduction and safety improvements for both vehicles and biking pedestrians were concerns shared with the project team.

“Access is a concern and the number one thing we heard from the community,” Kline stated. “We heard access from city streets to businesses and homes is a challenge, specifically making left turns. We also heard that safety was a concern in part due to the speeds and volumes of traffic but also the lack of pedestrian facilities along the roadway.”

Kline went on to show the safety concerns are backed up by data gathered over the years by the MnDOT.

“Not only are they above the statewide crash rates, it is well above the critical crash rates as well. The data shows there are higher crash rates along Highway 316 than along similar roadways in Minnesota,” Kline cited.

When those crash rates rise above the critical crash rates, the MnDOT starts to look at the different options available to make it safer.

“32% of the accidents are rear end crashes, probably due to congestion at intersections,” Kline stated. “29% are right angle crashes associated with left hand turns. The right angle crash types are the most severe crash type and that number is very concerning to us.”

Bike and pedestrian facilities along Highway 316 are also something the project team is working on improving. Kline stated that after walking the pedestrian path along the highway, she felt that she would be unlikely to use it based on safety concerns and agreed that it felt unsafe.

Kline went on to say that available data shows cars travel at an average of 42 MPH in the 35 MPH speed zone.

“So, what can we do to make this roadway slower, safer and able to accommodate pedestrians?” Kline asked the Council.

Kline showed a concept layout that her project team has been working to design.

“The roundabouts provide safer access, speed reduction, crash severity reductions and a safer pedestrian crossing,” Kline pointed out to the Council. “The median provides safety by eliminating those left angle turns that are associated with right-angle crash risks.”

Kline addressed some members of the community’s concern that the medians will inconveniently increase travel time in the area for residents.

“We’ve looked into that and I can tell you the most affected properties have about an added half of a mile extra travel distance,” Kline stated. “This added travel distance is expected to add maybe a minute to the trip.”

Kline pointed out that during peak times, the new design will probably make it easier for residents to get to their final destination. There are three roundabouts in about a one-mile stretch proposed in the concept.

Although some citizens are concerned they will no longer be able to turn directly left into places like the Hastings Civic Arena or Valley Chevrolet of Hastings, Kline assured the Council that drivers will be able to use an alternate entrance on Spiral Blvd. She also stated that one of the roundabouts was moved slightly to the west as to minimize the impact on Valley Chevrolet.

The City Council saw an animated video of what the project will look like upon completion. The video can be seen on the MnDOT’s project website at www.dot. state.mn.us/metro/projects/ hwy316.

All businesses and residences will remain open throughout the project which is scheduled to start in the spring and run through the fall of 2022. The cost of the project is projected at $8.2 million.

Here are the Minneosta DOT “frequently asked questions” on the project.

What is the purpose of this project?

The purpose of this project was to assess and prioritize area needs and improvements along Hwy 316 from the north junction of Hwy 61 to Tuttle Dr. in Hastings.

We anticipate making pavement upgrades to Hwy 316 from the north junction of Hwy 61 to south Tuttle Dr. in 2021. The pavement is deteriorating and needs a routine repair to obtain its intended service life. At the same time, we want to make other improvements to help with safety and traffic flow for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

What are the proposed safety improvements?

Hwy 316 is a heavyuse corridor, with vehicles, freight, pedestrians and bicyclists all sharing the road and competing for space. It is difficult to access Hwy 316 during peak hours, especially on the north end in the area we evaluated. The steady flow of traffic results in increased delay times and queuing on side streets and in turn lanes. Left turns are difficult to make into and out of side streets within the evaluation limits. This is the cause of many rear-end crashes on Hwy 316.

Proposed safety improvements include: · Adding three roundabouts and a center median. This will improve safety, reduce speeds and improve access · Adding designated facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists on both the east and west sides of Hwy 316, · Adding pedestrian crossings, What is the difference between a regular, mini and a compact roundabout?

Mini and compact roundabouts are the same type of roundabout and the names can be interchangeable. The compact or mini roundabouts are typically used in low speed urban areas. Regular single lane roundabouts are distinguished from the compact roundabout by their larger circle and more tangential entries and exists, resulting in higher capacity. Their design allows for slightly higher speeds at the entry, on the circulatory roadway.

Will this project make it easier to cross Hwy 316?

While left turns are being impacted with the proposed installation of the center median, this will also improve safety by eliminating the historically most dangerous movements from a crash perspective. There currently are no walking or bicycling facilities along portions of Hwy 316 therefore, a seven foot median will be included with the proposed project to improve pedestrian and bike crossings.

Why a seven foot median?

The project team knows new or upgraded designated facilities, identified crossings and connections for pedestrians and bicyclists are a high priority for the community. This median shortens the crossing distance and provides a refuge for bicyclists and pedestrians so they are able to cross one lane of traffic at a time. The seven foot width will also help provide room for bikes, and bikes with trailers Will this project reduce the speed on Hwy 316?

The project team knows that Hwy 316 feels unsafe due to vehicle speeds, especially to walkers and bicyclists. We will design the road to slow down drivers and to separate pedestrians and bicyclists from vehicle traffic.

Why not add more speed-limit signs?

Adding more traffic control devices, such as signs alone normally are not effective in reducing speeds and enforcement cannot be in place 24/7 due to limited Project Share holiday assistance is a program of Hastings Family Service (HFS) providing help for the holidays for families and individuals living in ISD 200. The program will happen in a modified way this year to ensure the safety of volunteers, staff and the neighbors we serve.

Registration for food and gifts for households with children ages 18 and under is now open. The process has changed this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so gifts will only be available for children ages 18 and under through resources. However, when used in conjunction with traffic calming measures, the proper use of traffic control signs can be more effective. This is why the proposed design changes to the road geometry have been incorporated to control speed and increase safety. See FHWA Engineering Speed Limits.

Will this project provide better access to homeowners’ driveways?

The proposed project will provide access to homeowner’s driveways, although it will restrict left turning access. Adding the center median and the mini roundabouts the Adopt-a-Family program. The HFS North Pole gift room will not be available. Food will be available to all households. To register for gifts for children, go to the Project Share page on the HFS website at www. hastingsfamilyservice.org and fill out the online registration form. Neighbors will then receive a confirmation email with a link to sign up for a phone call from a volunteer to complete their registration. Registration is not complete until the phone call is completed.

Adults only households will be able to call will help reduce speeds, improve safety on the corridor.

Who will be responsible for maintaining the new trails?

The City of Hastings will maintain the trail including snow removal , just as it does for many of the trails in the city that follow along a major roadways.

Will this project make improvements at the intersection of Hwy 61/316?

Improvements to the intersection at Hwy 61/316 will occur at a different time under a separate project.

651.437.7134 starting Monday, November 30 to schedule a holiday food pick up. Gifts for children and food for the household will be distributed through a safe, nocontact drive thru pick up during the weeks of December 7th and December 14th.

If you are interested in supporting Project Share this year, please consider the Adopt-a-Family program to provide gifts for children, or a donation of $30 covers the cost of a holiday meal for a family in Hastings. Please watch the HFS website for updates or call Maddie at 651-437-7134 to learn more.

Project Share

Registration Open