City staff outlines multi-year transportation plan, open houses and detour plans for Highway 97 and local projects

Ryan Goodman, a consultant with Bolton, told the council the city is coordinating multiple transportation projects across several years and provided an update on project timing, permitting and community outreach.

Goodman said the Eureka Avenue project is in a holding pattern because easement documents submitted to the Department of Natural Resources remain under federal review; that review can take more than a year. If the federal review stays within a year, the project would advertise for construction and place surcharge work on the widened area in 2026, with main construction targeted for 2027 and coordinated with the Highway 97 schedule.

Goodman announced public open houses: for the North Shore Trail and local street project on Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. upstairs at City Hall; a Broadway Avenue maintenance public open house on March 4 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Forest Lake Area Schools early childhood family education building; and a Highway 97 preconstruction open house March 11 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at City Hall. He said the Broadway County-led project was rebid after high prices and was scheduled to be built in spring with completion expected before July 4.

On Highway 97, Goodman said work would begin in 2025 on the west end (Hornsby to Fenway) and will require full closures in some segments because of deep excavation and poor soils; the east end (Fenway to Forest Road) would be staged in 2026. He described extensive excavation (10 to 20-foot cuts in places), concrete curb-and-gutter construction, and trail additions tying into Hardwick Creek Trail and other segments. He said detours will be well-signed and coordinated with public safety; weekly construction meetings will include public-safety staff.

Goodman noted businesses along the corridor have been engaged; Kwik Trip has been aware of the project and submitted a site application to expand its parking area, with planning commission review anticipated in March. He said some local sewer infrastructure requires substantial replacement in the North Shore project area (a 140-foot sewer segment) and that work aligns with the planned road project to avoid repaving new roads later.

Goodman also mentioned other corridor studies and RFPs in progress, including a county RFP at County Road 50 and Trunk Highway 61 (potential intersection work in 2028–29) and a MnDOT study from Highway 8 to 180th Street. He advised the council that the city expects a heavy program of transportation funding requests and construction in the coming years.