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Pelican Rapids council declines to pursue proposed Highway 59 pedestrian underpass
Summary
After reviewing preliminary schematics and a $1.0–1.5 million cost estimate, the Pelican Rapids City Council voted to not pursue a proposed pedestrian underpass on Highway 59, citing utility relocation, ownership questions and safety and maintenance concerns.
Bob Schan, project engineer with Apex Engineering, presented schematic plans for a proposed pedestrian underpass on Highway 59 south of 7th Avenue Southwest aimed at providing direct access to the elementary school and Chanty Martin field. Schan told the council the concept appears physically feasible but would require relocating shallow sanitary sewer, lowering water mains and installing heavy insulation and drainage; he gave a very preliminary cost range of $1.0 million to $1.5 million.
The proposal prompted questions about ownership, funding and safety. Schan said the school district had raised the idea and been involved in early meetings but, as presented, the underpass would cross City right-of-way and adjacent private land. Council members noted the school and private landowners would likely need to participate in funding and easements.
Council members also raised safety and long‑term maintenance concerns for an underpass. One council member argued that underpasses frequently require lighting, cameras and ongoing upkeep and can attract vandalism or other problems over time; another said a pedestrian crossing at street level, supplemented with the pedestrian-activated crosswalk the city recently installed, would be preferable if it met safety standards.
Given the unresolved funding sources, right-of-way complications, long-term maintenance obligations and safety considerations, the council moved and voted to not pursue the underpass plan at this time. Staff were directed to relay the council’s position to the school district and project stakeholders and to continue discussing safer at-grade crossing and sidewalk alternatives as part of ongoing Highway 59 improvements.
The council did not adopt a formal funding commitment for the underpass and left open the option to reconsider if the school district or private landowners presented a clear funding plan or requested further study; no detailed engineering or grant applications were authorized in this meeting.
