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Mantorville weighs lighting options and easement questions as Hwy 57 reconstruction approaches
Summary
City engineer Scott Huneke outlined Xcel and MnDOT options for lighting along Hwy 57 and warned that adding lights could require the city to own, operate and maintain the system or delay the project letting; council asked for pricing, public input, and legal clarity on a requested quitclaim deed easement.
City of Mantorville officials spent a significant portion of their Nov. 13 meeting reviewing lighting options for the planned Hwy 57 reconstruction and discussing a separate quitclaim deed easement MnDOT has requested for a privately owned parcel along the route.
Scott Huneke of WHKS presented cost estimates from Xcel Energy for several lighting configurations. An ornamental option with ten 14-foot aluminum base-mounted poles and acorn fixtures was priced at $68,831; lower-cost variants using different poles and fixtures ranged from about $64,000 to $59,000; switching to taller 30-foot standard poles with fewer cobra-style fixtures reduced the estimate to roughly $45,000. Reinstalling wood poles would preserve overhead wiring but require a local electrician to add outlets for decorations, Huneke said. He also noted that running lights on only one side of the road could save an estimated $25,000, though per-pole costs would be higher because poles would be taller.
Huneke reported that MnDOT staff (per District Traffic Engineer Mike Schweyen) determined on June 7, 2023, that a lighting system is not "needed or warranted" for state highway purposes. That means MnDOT would not directly cost-participate with a private utility; cost participation could occur only with a local government that owns, operates and maintains lighting to MnDOT specifications. Huneke said adding lighting to the construction plans would require delaying the current letting date so the lighting plans, specifications and cost estimates could be incorporated and reviewed.
Council members pressed for more pricing details and information on long-term maintenance obligations. Councilmember Jeffrey Ingalls asked for bond-coverage data; Public Works Lead Joe Adams noted typical lead times for signage (6–8 weeks) and asked that signage needs for detours include directional information so motorists know how to reach Mantorville rather than only being routed around the highway work.
Separately, council discussed a parcel reportedly still owned by an original settler that MnDOT needs for the project. MnDOT requested a quitclaim deed easement; Councilmember Ingalls said the city expects to retain ownership while conveying a perpetual right-of-way easement but asked staff to confirm whether ownership would transfer to the state. City Clerk-Treasurer Gretchen Lohrbach will consult the city attorney and report back.
The council did not vote on lighting or easement actions at the meeting; members asked staff to obtain more precise pricing, invite public comment via the city website and Facebook, and try to have the city’s financial advisor present at the next meeting to discuss bonding options.
