8c. State of Bluff Creek Drive.1
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MEMORANDUM
CITY OF
CHANHASSEN
690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
(612) 937 -1900 • FAX (612) 937 -5739
I TO: Mayor and City Council
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Trunk Highway 212 from the
away was one of the first five
State Aid system (MSA) back in
Hesse Farm subdivisions and a
One full street intersection
major land subdivisions have
ion in 1972, Hesse Farm l'
adway was reconstructed in 1989
. " ect cost for
was approximately $741,000. State -a' • J ing provided
*qinwount was asses - : rty owners along the
7 II. CURRENT CONDITIONS \'
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1 9 C.
FROM: Charles Folch, Director of Public Works
DATE: July 18, 1996
SUBJ: Update on Bluff Creek Drive Status - File No. PW -230C
Based on a formal complaint raised by a number idents during the visitor presentation of the
July 8, 1996 City Council meeting regarding tru tr c along Bluff Creek Drive, the City
Council directed staff to investigate the situation nd d ermine if any solutions are available.
I. BACKGROUND HISTORY
Bluff Creek Drive is a 1.25 mile segment roadway con
south and Pioneer Trail/County Road o the north. This
roadway segments designated by Ch - assen on the Munic
November of 1972. The roadway vides direct access to
half dozen or so direct drivew ccesses to adjacent prope
occurs along the segment ' at is at Hesse Farm Road. '
Bluff Creek Drive continues to function as - a - Municipal State Aid (MSA) collector road with a
9 -ton weight capacity. The most recent traffic counts indicate an average daily two -way traffic
volume total of 2,250 vehicles. This is approximately the same traffic volume experienced on
Galpin Boulevard between Lyman Boulevard and Trunk Highway 5 and less than half the traffic
volume currently being experienced on Trunk Highway 101 (south of Trunk Highway 5), CSAH
17 (Powers Boulevard) and Kerber Boulevard. From Trunk Highway 212 in south Chanhassen
there are basically two corridors within the city for motorists to traverse north; Trunk Highway
Mayor and City Council
July 18, 1996
Page 2 '
101 and Bluff Creek Drive. There are also the County Road 17 and Trunk Highway 41 corridors '
farther to the west in Chaska which traverse north from Trunk Highway 212. There is no specific
data available indicating the volume percentage of truck traffic on the Bluff Creek Drive corridor;
however, it has been observed in the past that, in general, truck traffic along this corridor is fairly '
minor except during periods of the summer when gravel from a local mining pit (Moon Valley) is
being transported to an improvement project within the City of Chanhassen. or northeastern
Chaska. This contention is further supported by the lack of truck complaints during the late fall '
through early spring time period over the past few years.
III. MUNICIPAL STATE AID STREETS
As discussed previously, Bluff Creek Drive was designated as a State Aid road back in 1972 and
was reconstructed to a 9 -ton design in 1989. The purpose of State Aid collector streets is to
provide connector routes of higher volume and potentially heavier loaded traffic between trunk
highways and county highways. With this year's continued major road construction, it appears '
that truck hauling of aggregate material along this corridor has become fairly intense causing
noise and other related problems for residents on the corridor.
Followin g the last City Council meeting, I made contact with MnDOT State Aid representatives '
at both the Metro office in Roseville and the Central office in St. Paul to inquire on some
contentions made by residents, specifically the elimination of truck traffic on Bluff Creek Drive by '
redesignating it as a "parkway ". According to both State Aid officials there are no provisions in
the State Aid road system which allow for such a designation. I was also informed that if the road
is weight restricted to less than 9 tons other than during the spring seasonal period, State Aid '
would likely revoke the MSA designation for the roadway which would result in some serious
financial implications to the City since State Aid dollars were used to reconstruct this roadway.
IV. SPEED SURVEY
The Public Safety department is working cooperatively with the Carver County Sheriff's Office to ,
evaluate the speed of vehicles along the corridor. This study is not yet completed, however, I am
told that, to date, there have been no tickets written and in general speeds have been within the '
law.
V. OPTIONS EVALUATED
1. A request has been made by residents to eliminate the truck traffic from this roadway. As
mentioned earlier, the City has full jurisdiction over the roadway; however, if the roadway does '
not maintain the standards for a State Aid roadway, MnDOT will revoke its MSA status. In
addition, MnDOT will likely request a refund of their investment in the construction of this
roadway by withholding future annual construction dollar allotments to the City. From my '
discussions with MnDOT, it is likely that they would base the refund amount on a 25 -year road
life. This means that since the road was improved in 1989 with approximately $657,000 of
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r Mayor and City Council
July 18, 1996
Page 3
State Aid money, that the City would be responsible for reimbursing or refunding the State
approximately 18/25 (18 years remaining) of the road life. This is approximately 72% of the
original State Aid investment amount which equates to approximately $473,000 being withheld
' in future year construction allotments to the City of Chanhassen. From an economic
standpoint this does not appear to be a very appropriate option to pursue.
' 2. Councilman Senn requested that staff investigate the option of installing stop signs along the
corridor. Hesse Farm Road is the only true street intersection which occurs along the corridor.
Based on warrants as identified in the Minnesota Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices
' (MMUTCD), this intersection does not come close to meeting the criteria for the installation of
an all -way stop control situation. Should the City install an all -way stop control at this
intersection without regard to the MMUTCD, the City's liability exposure could be great in an
accident situation. Studies nationwide have shown that driver compliance is very poor at
inappropriately stop signed intersections. This increases safety problems. In addition, stop
' signs inappropriately used to reduce speeds and discourage trucks along this corridor may also
have other adverse impacts such as motorists speeding between segments of the stop signs so
as to make up for lost time, increased noise to residents near a stop control intersection
' associated with trucks braking to a stop and then accelerating away, and potential accidents
which may occur should a vehicle fail to observe an all -way stop condition.
' 3. It has also been suggested that future road improvement contracts within the City specify that
Bluff Creek Drive not be used as a haul road. There are a half -dozen aggregate material
supply pits in and around the area which could bid on a City road improvement project so it is
' not known at the time the specifications are prepared where the material will come from.
However, if the City Council so desires, a general specification could be included with all
contracts prohibiting the use of Bluff Creek Drive as a haul route. This language would also
t have to be included in the development contracts for private projects in the city, however,
private development occurring in the northeast area of Chaska would be difficult to control
hauling operations.
In addition, contract prices for aggregate material may increase due to additional haul
distances. This is also likely to occur with projects currently under contract and being supplied
' by Moon Valley Aggregate. From discussions with Moon Valley, they make a claim on the
Powers Boulevard project for additional costs associated with the lengthened haul route due to
' the interim weight restriction on Bluff Creek Drive. It is also possible that Moon Valley may
try to sue the City for loss of market competitiveness in the area if they are restricted from
using existing State Aid routes such as Bluff Creek Drive via project specifications.
VI. CONCLUSION
' It is evident that there are no clear cut solutions to this issue. This road was designated many,
years ago as a State Aid route and improved accordingly. Staff desires further direction from the
City Council with regards to this matter. Ultimately, it is assumed that this item should be
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Mayor and City Council
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July 18, 1996
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brought back as a regular Council item before any formal action is taken so that residents can
again appear and be heard.
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