Council approves contract amendment for Cedar Lake Road/Louisiana Avenue project amid lane‑width debate

The St. Louis Park City Council on April 21 unanimously approved a professional services contract amendment for the Cedar Lake Road–Louisiana Avenue phase 2 reconstruction (project 4024‑1100), after staff summarized project history and residents raised concerns about lane widths and bicycle access.

Engineering Director Deb Heizer told the council the city approved the project layout in February 2023, engaged the community starting in 2022 and built phase 1 last year. Heizer said the council‑approved layout rebuilds the road, adds a sidewalk on the east side, and addresses water main work; a bikeway was routed off Louisiana to avoid removal of roughly 70 mature trees. The city has acquired temporary and permanent easements from 125 parcels at a combined cost of about $2,500,000, Heizer said, and the project has federal authorization. She said the current cross section reduces the road width by about 8 feet (from a 36‑foot width) to allow…