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Maplewood approves municipal consent for MnDOT Highway 5 redesign after design changes to protect vegetation
Summary
The Maplewood City Council on July 28 approved MnDOT’s final layout for Trunk Highway 5 (City Project 20510), endorsing a conversion from four lanes to three, an 8-foot east-side trail and revised curb alignment after public concerns about vegetation and driveway impacts.
Maplewood, July 28 — The Maplewood City Council voted unanimously July 28 to grant municipal consent for MnDOT’s Trunk Highway 5 improvements between Minnehaha Avenue and Lakewood Drive, approving the project’s final layout (City Project 20510).
The council’s approval follows revisions MnDOT made after a May public hearing to reduce impacts to existing vegetation and address driveway steepness. Michael Corbett, MnDOT’s presenter, said the project will convert the roadway from four lanes to three with a center two-way left-turn lane, replace aging signals and add an 8-foot shared-use trail on the east side to match the west side. “We are going from 4 lanes down to 3, to help with a lot of safety issues and access issues,” Corbett said, adding that crash rates along the corridor were “definitely above normal.”
Why it matters: MnDOT and the city said the narrower configuration with a dedicated left-turn lane reduces lane weaving and left-turn conflicts that have contributed to crashes, and the trail and enhanced crosswalks are intended to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, especially near a park, a church and a Korean immersion school.
Project specifics provided by Corbett include minor right-of-way acquisition near a Lutheran church for drainage work, ADA upgrades timed for the roadway resurfacing and design changes that shortened the grass boulevard and reduced trail width from the original 10 feet to 8 feet to minimize vegetation impacts. Corbett said construction is planned for next summer.
Council action: A council member moved approval of the resolution of municipal consent for MnDOT’s Trunk Highway 5 improvements (City Project 20510). The motion carried by roll call vote; the transcript records all council members voting in the affirmative.
Next steps: With municipal consent granted, MnDOT may proceed with right-of-way steps and final permitting ahead of the anticipated construction window next summer. The council’s packet included MnDOT’s presentation and revised plans.
— Reporting from the Maplewood City Council meeting; Michael Corbett and city staff presented the project.
