Brainerd Highway 210 Improvement Project

This area has congestion and safety issues that need to be addressed to keep the community moving. We know that backups occur at the NW 4th St./Washington St. intersection that impact vehicles turning at NW 3rd St. and NW 5th St. from Highway 210/Washington St.

We also observed that the striping currently installed to keep vehicles from making left turns at cross-streets is not as effective as other potential safety methods.

Potential Solutions:

Our team is proposing some changes to help with the safety and traffic flow issues identified above.

Intersection Design

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Roadway Design Options

To improve safety, MnDOT is proposing to add raised medians at each of the intersecting side streets to limit traffic to right turns only. The raised medians will replace the existing pavement striping that’s out there today.

The designs shown below include images of what’s out there today, along with our ideas for safety and traffic improvements to better accommodate drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. This segment was reconstructed in 2001 so there’s less work being proposed in this area compared to the other segments.

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The Mississippi River crossing is an essential crossing for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. We know that there are narrow sidewalks on both sides of the bridge that make it difficult for pedestrians and bicyclists to safely cross the bridge.

Potential Solutions:

MnDOT is proposing an 11-foot sidewalk on both sides of the bridge to address this issue. The image below shows the top down view of what this would look like.

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Roadway Design Options

The designs shown below include images of what’s out there today, along with our ideas for safety and traffic improvements to better accommodate drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

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Click on image to enlarge.

This segment of the project area extends through downtown Brainerd and has congestion and safety issues for all users of this area. There is also on-street parking allowed on the north side of Highway 210/Washington St.. We know there are several key issues that need to be addressed, including:

• No median barrier separating lanes of traffic between East River Rd. and 9th St.
• Safety concerns with access to and from private driveways on Highway 210/Washington St.
• Current on-street parking locations are a safety concern given heavy traffic volumes
• Narrow sidewalks on the south side of Highway 210/Washington St.
• A significant amount of vehicles making right turns from eastbound Highway 210/Washington St. at East River Rd., 4th St., and 8th St.

Potential Solutions:

After observing this area and hearing from community members, our team developed potential solutions to help address these issues:

Chippewa St. and Highway 210/Washington St. Intersection

The concept shown below will help with safety and access at the Chippewa St./Dairy Queen intersection. Removing the eastbound left turn lane allows for more room for wider sidewalks on the bridge.

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New right turn lane recommendations

Based on priorities identified in the detailed traffic analysis, MnDOT is proposing to add eastbound right turn lanes at the following intersections:

• East River Rd.
• 4th St.
• 8th St.

Parking on Highway 210/Washington St.

On-street parking is currently allowed along the north side of Highway 210/Washington St. We heard from community members during our online survey that on-street parking is not a top priority for this area. After hearing this feedback and identifying other safety concerns in this area, we are proposing to remove on-street parking because of the heavy traffic volume and the availability of on-street parking on the side streets and/or on site.

Click on the red, black, and light blue lines on the main map screen to see how parking may change.

Roadway Design Options

The designs shown below include images of what’s out there today, along with our ideas for safety and traffic improvements to better accommodate drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

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Click on image to enlarge.

This segment extends east from Kingwood St. to 10th Ave. and is a mix of commercial land uses to the north and rail operations and open space to the south. We know there are several key issues that need to be addressed, including:

• Congestion and safety concerns at 13th St. SE/Gillis Ave. and Highway 25/8th Ave. NE
• Safety concerns with access to and from private driveways on Highway 210/Washington St.
• On-street parking is a safety concern given heavy traffic volumes
• No sidewalk on the south side of the roadway east of Kingwood St.

Potential Solutions:

After observing this area and hearing from community members, our team developed several ideas for addressing congestion and safety issues and accommodating an extension of the Cuyuna State Trail.

Concept 1:

This concept is similar to the existing intersection out there today, however it improves traffic flow at Highway 210/Washington St. and 8th Ave./Highway 25. It also improves safety by removing some turning options at the mall entrance off of 8th Ave. and at 10th Ave. Concept 1 provides improved traffic operations compared to the existing conditions but does not provide the benefits of Concepts 2 or 3. View a video clip illustrating traffic flow with Concept 1.

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Concept 2:

Converting the existing traffic signal at 8th Ave. to a roundabout as well as removing the traffic signal at 4th Ave. provides significant safety and traffic flow benefits. This concept also adds access from eastbound Highway 210/Washington St. to the mall. Similar to the other two concepts, this concept removes turning options at the mall entrance off of 8th Ave. and at 10th Ave. Concept 2 provides better operations than Concept 1 but not as favorable as Concept 3. View a video clip illustrating traffic flow with Concept 2.

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Concept 3:

This concept provides the most significant changes from what’s out there today, including shifting the Highway 25 connection to Highway 210/Washington St. approximately 1,000 feet west. The two roundabouts provide the most substantial traffic flow and safety benefits of the three alternatives. Similar to concept 2, the traffic signal at 4th Ave. would be removed and access for eastbound Highway 210/Washington St. traffic to the mall would be provided. Similar to the other two concepts, this concept removes turning options at the mall entrance off of 8th Ave. and at 10th Ave. Concept 3 provides the best traffic operations of the three concepts. View a video clip illustrating traffic flow with Concept 3.

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Click on image to enlarge.

Parking on Highway 210/Washington St.

On-street parking is currently allowed along the north side of Highway 210/Washington St. We are proposing to remove this on-street parking because of the heavy traffic levels and the availability of on-street parking on the side streets.

Click on the red, black, and light blue lines on the main map screen to see how parking may change.

Roadway Design Options

The designs shown below include images of what’s out there today, along with our ideas for safety and traffic improvements to better accommodate drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

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Click on image to enlarge.

This segment extends through a mix of residential, commercial, and open space land uses. This area includes a continuous raised center median with openings for access at cross-streets and all private driveways. Similar to the West Segment, this section of road is relatively new so that’s why there’s less work being proposed.

Potential Solutions:

Road Design Options

The design below reflects what’s out there today. No changes are proposed beyond the planned mill and overlay to improve pavement conditions.

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