2013-44 CITY OF CHANHASSEN
CARVER AND HENNEPIN COUNTIES,MINNESOTA
DATE: October 14,2013 RESOLUTION NO: 2013-44
MOTION BY: McDonald SECONDED BY: Tjornhom
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FUNDING FOR
US HIGHWAY 212: A CORRIDOR OF COMMERCE
WHEREAS,US Highway 212 serves a critical role in connecting Greater Minnesota to
Twin Cities markets in the Metropolitan Area and has been designated a High Priority
Interregional Corridor while also being placed on the National Highway System;
WHEREAS,US Highway 212 is heavily used by freight traffic with 1,850 heavy trucks '
in the corridor daily;
WHEREAS, freight traffic in Southwest Minnesota will potentially grow by 200 percent
by 2030, increasing truck traffic on Highway 212 dramatically;
WHEREAS, traffic volumes in year 2030 are forecast to increase to between 21,000 and
28,000 vehicles per day or two to three times the existing traffic volumes, exceeding the capacity
of the existing two-lane facility;
WHEREAS, an Environmental Assessment has been approved for the 4.6 mile two-lane
gap between Cologne and Carver and is ready for construction in 2015 upon securing right-of-
way and final design;
WHEREAS,41 communities and local chambers of commerce have passed resolutions
supporting improvements to Highway 212 to expand the capacity of this highway and the Board
of Commissioners of every county along the corridor has passed such a resolution;
WHEREAS,the current highway poses serious safety problems as it switches from a
four-lane facility west of Chaska to a two-lane highway, then switches back to a four-lane
highway around Cologne and back to a two-lane highway from Cologne to Norwood-Young
America and would be much safer and much better able to handle present and projected traffic
flows if it were a continuous four-lane highway through this area;
WHEREAS, Congress and the State of Minnesota have recognized the need to expand
this critical trade link to the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area and have previously provided
funding through the ISTEA Transportation Authorization bill, TEA-21 Authorization bill, the
2002 Transportation Appropriations bill, the 2003 Transportation Appropriations bill, the 2004
Transportation Appropriations bill and SAFETEA-LU;
WHEREAS,the 2009 Environmental Assessment determined the project has a benefit-
cost ratio of 3.2 or better, exceeding the minimum threshold of 1.0;
WHEREAS,multi-modal connections to or near Highway 212 include: freight rail lines,
intermodal terminals, park-and-ride lots, transit service, state trails and airports.
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature created and funded the Corridors of Commerce
program in 2013 specifically to fund corridors like US Highway 212 that contain two-lane
segments in an otherwise four-lane corridor and that serve an important freight movement
function;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Chanhassen City Council supports
the inclusion of funding from the Corridors of Commerce program to help construct this $38
million project to improve and expand US Highway 212 and that any maps or lists of Corridors
of Commerce highways include US Highway 212.
Passed and adopted by the Chanhassen City Council this 14th day of October, 2013.
As
Ak*
ATTEST:
odd Gerhardt, City Manager Thomas A. Furlong,Mayor
YES NO ABSENT
Furlong None None
Ernst
Laufenburger
McDonald
Tj ornhom