Goodhue County staff recommends turning back County Road 50 to Mineola Township, township signals tentative compromise

Goodhue County public works staff on Tuesday reviewed a proposal to turn back County Road 50 to Mineola Township, saying the road has been severed from Trunk Highway 52 by a MnDOT project and that recent traffic counts and pavement condition support transfer of ownership.

An unnamed county public works presenter told the board the road was originally graded in the 1920s, repaved at various times (including west side paving in 1975 and east side in 1985) and that current pavement on parts of the route now exceeds typical life expectancy. Staff said the existing typical section is about 6 inches of bituminous asphalt over 12 inches of class 5 aggregate and proposed reconstruction would add 6 inches of aggregate over 6 inches of reclaimed bituminous, yielding roughly 24 inches of granular equivalency to strengthen the roadway.

Staff said legal revocation would follow Minnesota Statute 163.11 and requires a township public hearing (which occurred) and a county resolution. Before full revocation, staff said the county must complete repairs or improvements to meet county standards and record county property interests; once those are done a two‑year maintenance period begins during which either the county continues maintenance or the township assumes it and may bill the county for work.

Traffic counts showed weekday averages this year of 82 vehicles on the west side (27 on weekends) and 53 weekday (34 weekend) on the east side; a separate heavy commercial count identified 19 heavy vehicles per day on the west section. Staff said those volumes, paired with the proposed reconstruction and MnDOT data, would exceed what the road needs for current heavy commercial use.

Staff also outlined operational details: current weight postings are 9 tons on the west side and 7 tons on the east; staff proposed the county posting could be 9 tons on both sides but noted that if the township ultimately assumes the road it may set its own posting. The presenter said culvert repair could be handled this summer or fall and that construction, originally planned in the county’s five‑year plan for 2027, could be advanced into this year to begin the required two‑year maintenance window sooner.

Riley Booncek, Mineola Township chairperson, told the board the township has “kindly come to a compromise” after extensive discussion, though he said some residents remain opposed. A board member referenced a potential future cost of about $425,000 if the road later were converted to gravel; Booncek agreed the township did not want to accept the road in its present condition if that conversion were likely.

On construction method, staff said the contractor would reclaim the surface, mix and compact materials, place aggregate, and — given calendar timing — possibly apply chloride to stabilize the surface going into winter. Staff recommended the board consider advancing the project timeline so the county can meet the repair and recording requirements and begin the two‑year maintenance period without years of delay.

Next steps identified by staff include preparing final plans, coordinating meetings with adjacent townships for segments extending to County Road 8 at Hader, and returning to the board with a resolution. The board adjourned this portion of the meeting and began the regular county board session at 9:00 a.m.