The city of Wadena approved a resolution approving the Minnesota Department of Transportation's layout for reconstruction of U.S. Highway 10 through town.
At a public hearing last Tuesday, Jan. 8, MnDOT Project Manager Claudia Dumont reviewed the project.
"We have $8.8 million designated to reconstruct the highway in 2018," she said. "Also to pave the two lane sections east and west of town. The proposed project will put in two lanes, one lane each direction as it is today but will provide wide shoulders that can be restriped into four lane when the two-lane segments are completed."
The project will also include sidewalks, sewer and gutters, new street lights, traffic signals and provides a new interconnect between the traffic signals and railroad.
A raised median will separate eastbound and westbound traffic.
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Because of this, the First Street Southeast intersection is proposed to be closed off to left turns from westbound traffic.
The reasons for raised medians include access management, safety and mobility, Dumont said. It will reduce crash rates that are already higher than the statewide average, she added.
A concern was raised about the First Street Southeast access. Trucks need access to several businesses in southeast Wadena and some were worried the reduced access would cause issues.
Wadena City Administrator Brad Swenson addressed that concern.
"The committee for this project met last week and went through this with Claudia," he said. "The committee talked about the raised median and at the conclusion, the committee was in full support of the drawing, which showed that First Street was closed off."
"We have established a truck route - it's Aldrich or Dayton Avenue - so those roads will need to be used," he said.
In addition, the county has discussed adding a rail crossing in a different location. MnDOT officials said it would be able to accommodate changes to the plan if a different proposal is made.
The council approved adopting a resolution approving the basic design. There might be changes in the next few years, Swenson said.
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Wadena County has also been discussing the rerouting of County Road 4 to hit HIghway 10 at a different location. This and other plans will need to be coordinated with MnDOT's project.
The council approved hiring Bolton & Menk to provide engineering services for the Highway 10 infrastructure project.
The city and MnDOT hosted two public hearings this fall and received input on the project before the final plan was proposed.
"I just think it's exciting to finally see this moving forward after years and years and years and years," councilman Don Niles said.
For more information about the Highway 10 reconstruction project in Wadena, visit the project website at www.mndot.gov/d3/wadena/ . Questions and comments may also be directed to Claudia Dumont, MnDOT project manager, at Claudia.Dumont@state.mn.us or (320) 223-6530.
