Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews 30% design for Monad Road: widening, drainage fixes and a multiuse path proposed
Summary
City engineering presented a 30% design for Monad Road (Daniel Street to Moore Lane) that includes road reconstruction, a center turn lane, stormwater work, new lighting and a multiuse path; construction budget was presented at about $4.7 million (project cost just over $5 million) and staff expects construction in 2027 pending design and right-of-way work.
City engineering presented a 30%-design update for the Monad Road reconstruction project, describing scope, constraints and next steps.
The presentation described a full reconstruction from Daniel Street east through the s-curve to Moore Lane, adding a center turn lane, new storm drainage, street lighting and pedestrian facilities including a multiuse path and two new pedestrian crossings. Staff said the construction budget estimate is about $4,700,000 and that the full project budget is slightly above $5,000,000; the path and sidewalk portion was identified at about $560,000. Engineers flagged constrained right-of-way on the east side because of Burlington Northern/Santa Fe property and MDU infrastructure and said the project team is negotiating with the railroad on stormwater and other elements.
Council members pressed staff on trade-offs: several said the corridor is largely industrial and questioned whether a 10-foot multiuse trail is warranted where pedestrian and recreational demand appears limited; others pointed to nearby low-income apartments, bus access and safety needs at night and supported multimodal elements. The council discussed alternatives (7-foot curb walks, 5-foot sidewalks plus boulevards, or a reduced-width cross section as bid alternates) and asked staff to consider corridor connectivity, snow storage, and the potential for traffic-calming measures near the s-curve, where guardrail and crash patterns are concerning.
Staff said additional property-owner outreach will begin in August, that right-of-way negotiations with the railroad are ongoing, and that formal property-assessment and streetlight-maintenance-district matters will be part of future steps. Construction was tentatively scheduled for 2027.
Why it matters: The design choices will affect road safety, pedestrian access, and budget allocations in a corridor used by trucks and by some transit-dependent residents. Council members asked staff for design options and clearer plans demonstrating how the multimodal elements connect to surrounding routes before finalizing the design.
What to watch next: The project returns to council as design advances (30% stage is informational); staff scheduled one-on-one public meetings beginning in August and indicated further design and negotiation with BNSF and utility owners will continue.
