Project Overview
The City of Rochester and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT)
District 6 have initiated the Northern Rochester Transportation Study (NRTS).
The NRTS is focused on identifying and analyzing needed transportation
improvements in an area bound by 75th Street NW on the north, 55th Street NW on
the south, 50th Avenue NW on the west, and 18th Avenue NW on the east.
The NRTS is a follow-up to a transportation study conducted in 2005-2006, which
focused on a similar area. The 2005-2006 Study was aimed at identifying issues
and needs within the 55th Street NW interchange area and the 65th Street NW
growth area to develop appropriate transportation improvements to address the
existing capacity and congestion problems at the 55th Street interchange as well
as future traffic needs.
The 2005-2006 Study involved an extensive alternative evaluation process and
traffic operations analysis of improvements to the 55th Street interchange and
surrounding area. The Study, while not formally completed due to funding
shortfalls, did show that widening 55th Street NW to six-lanes through the
interchange area along with other local roadway connectivity improvements (such
as frontage/backage roads) did not fully resolve the capacity and levels of
service problems in the long term.
The continued growth within the northern Rochester area and specific development
pressure within the 65th Street NW/Highway 52 vicinity prompted the City of
Rochester and Mn/DOT District 6 to form a partnership to proactively address
these transportation issues and needs. The NRTS Partnership has agreed the scope
of the new NRTS study will look at a phased approach to improvements that:
- Update valuable information gathered in the previous 2005-2006 Study
- Address the immediate transportation needs, such as 55th Street interchange
congestion relief and congestion relief on local roads
- Identify and analyze improvements needed in the vicinity of 65th Street,
including evaluation of a new interchange at 65th Street/Highway 52
- Address the long-range transportation goals (year 2035) by identifying the
ultimate transportation network roadway plan for the area and preparing a staged
implementation schedule.
The purpose of identifying the ultimate transportation roadway plan for this
area now is to facilitate the agencies’ ability to preserve right-of-way and
secure funding for the future phased implementation of the recommended
improvements.
The NRTS will expand upon the 2005-2006 Study by assessing
improvements needed at 65th Street NW, e.g., widening 65th Street west of
Highway 52 and providing new interchange access to Highway 52 at 65th Street NW.
The additional recommendations for the 65th Street area will be coordinated with
improvements at the 55th Street interchange and improved local roadway
connectivity, along with various alternatives for protecting the safety and
capacity of Highway 52, and to develop a series of phased network transportation
improvements projects to address the long range issues and needs surrounding the
55th Street NW interchange and the 65th Street NW growth area.
The new NRTS will
also include assessment of social, environmental, and economic impacts of the
various alternatives to select roadway system improvements that minimize impacts
while meeting the identified public transportation system needs. Public and
agency involvement will be solicited to provide input regarding project impacts
and alternatives. A federal/state Environmental Assessment/Environmental
Assessment Worksheet (EA/EAW) document will be prepared for the proposed
improvements and distributed for public comment, consistent with federal and
state environmental review process requirements.
The NRTS Partnership is working diligently to complete the Northern Rochester Transportation Study
by Winter 2010 and
welcomes the public’s input to enhance the project development process.