I would say overwhelmingly that it’s been don’t do the trail.”

Dakota County Commissioner Mike Slavik

Residents who live along Ravenna Trail in Hastings continue to raise concerns about a proposed Dakota County reconstruction project for County Road 54, even as county officials say the project itself is expected to move forward in the coming years.
The proposal calls for reconstruction of roughly five miles of roadway from the Hastings city limits near 18th Street south to 200th Street East near the Etter Bridge area. According to Dakota County Commissioner Mike Slavik, the work is currently planned for construction around 2030 and is intended to address long term safety, drainage, and pavement condition issues.
Slavik said the project involves a full reconstruction rather than simple resurfacing, noting that the recent work residents remember was only a temporary measure.
“That was done as a Band-Aid, because the road was in such bad condition that it was just done so they did a mill and overlay just to be able to get it to drivable conditions because it was not going to last,” Slavik said.
Public discussion about the project has focused heavily on whether a bicycle or pedestrian trail should be included along the corridor. At a public open house April 8 at Ravenna Town Hall, many residents voiced opposition to adding a trail, while others supported the idea.
According to Slavik, that feedback matches what county officials have been hearing.
“I would say overwhelmingly that it’s been don’t do the trail,” he said.
He added that Dakota County currently has no other trails along rural county roads and said the board is expected to review the issue again after considering comments gathered during the open houses.
Residents attending the meeting raised a range of concerns, including traffic speeds, enforcement, wildlife collisions, and the possibility that right of way acquisition could affect private property along the road.
Only three comments had been posted on the project’s interactive engagement map as of early April. Two addressed protecting property rights, while another suggested building a properly sized roundabout at Ravenna Trail and 200th Street East near the Etter Bridge intersection.
Still, conversation at the open house suggested broader concern among those who attended in person. Many said they do not believe a trail belongs along the corridor.
One resident described the roadway as already hazardous and questioned whether adding pedestrians would make conditions worse.
“My thought is it shouldn’t happen. This road is dangerous as hell the way it is. I mean, I’ll come to the end of my driveway to turn, and I’ve got two people coming the same direction at me, and this happens time after time. Now, what are you going to do about pedestrians crossing and whatnot? I think it’s a dangerous road and a dangerous idea.”
Longtime resident Eric Legler said traffic has steadily increased over the years and believes reconstruction could make conditions more difficult rather than safer.
“Well, my thoughts is that roads been out of control for a long time. I was born and raised down here, and since the casino was put in, the amount of traffic on that road has slowly gotten worse over the years, to the point where I’ve never seen it so bad.”
Legler also questioned whether reconstruction is necessary given recent resurfacing work.
“The road was just done here two years ago. It was resurfaced. That road is historical, and I don’t think it should be changed because somebody else outside this community wants it changed.”
Slavik said that resurfacing was never intended as a long-term solution, explaining that cracks began appearing quickly because of underlying roadbed conditions.
Property impacts remain another major concern. Some residents worry that adding shoulders or a trail could take land from homes that already sit close to the roadway.
“I have some river property myself, and I’m not so much concerned about myself so much as I do with the people that are living down there, because they’re so close to the road that once they put a trail in there, whether or not one side or another, it’s going to take most of their yards up, and I don’t think it’s feasible to do that,” Legler said.
Slavik said county standards typically require about 110 feet of right of way for rural county roads, though much of that space is used for drainage areas and ditches rather than pavement itself.
He also noted that reconstruction would include wider shoulders, which can improve safety and allow law enforcement more space to stop vehicles.
“If you do not have a safe spot for law enforcement to pull someone over, they’re not going to be able to do that,” Slavik said.
Residents also questioned whether enforcement levels are already too limited for current traffic conditions.
“There’s only two patrols for this side of the county,” Legler said. “This county is a good-sized county, and for two patrols, and this amount of area it’s got to cover, there’s just no way.”
Others raised concerns about how close a trail could come to homes along the route.
“It’s going to be 10 feet away from the house. You’re not doing that to my house, I’m not having people going by my house that close,” Nick Sundby said.
Funding questions also surfaced during the open house. Slavik said trail construction, if included, would likely rely on Dakota County’s share of a regional transportation sales tax dedicated to active transportation projects rather than federal funding.
Even with continued discussion about design details, Slavik said reconstruction itself is expected to proceed.
“The project is necessary for safety issues for drainage issues and for the fact of road condition,” he said.
He added that the current planning phase still allows time for adjustments based on community feedback before final design decisions are made.
Residents who attended the April open house said they expect those discussions to continue, especially around whether a trail should be included as part of the final project.
For now, the future of Ravenna Trail appears to be less about whether reconstruction will happen and more about what the finished roadway will look like when it does.