Ongoing since spring 2012 — with discussion and disputes dating to years before that — Brainerd City Engineer Jeff Hulsether on Wednesday said construction on College Drive is on track and nearing its completion.
Hulsether said another transition will be made for motorists beginning Oct. 1, allowing westbound traffic into the west lane and eastbound traffic in the east lane.
“Come Monday, there will be no more traffic traveling in opposite lanes,” said Hulsether. “We will still have lane closures, and will still be operating on single lanes and the roundabouts functioning about three to four weeks.
“Then we hope to open everything up and have the pavement complete and two lanes of traffic to be permanently open.”
The project work has included four lanes from Crow Wing County Road 48 to South Fourth Street; reconstruction of College Drive and Crow Wing County Road 48 intersection; roundabouts at Mississippi River Parkway, Southwest Fourth Street and South Fourth Street; a stop light at Quince and South Fifth streets; repaving Quince Street to South Sixth Street; trails; sidewalks; bridge improvements; pedestrian crosswalks, flashers and deterrents; lighting improvements; and a backage road to accommodate the apartment buildings.
Hulsether said that with citizens’ concerns rising about the new roundabouts, the city will release safety information in coming days to help ease into the change.
JESSI PIERCE, staff writer, may be reached at 855-5859 or jessi.pierce@brainerddispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jessi_pierce (@jessi_pierce).
Comments (4)
Add commentOK I gotta say it
If you can't make it through a round a bout you shouldn't be driving anyway. I'm not saying 8 mill was Ok just sayin that if you can't drive through there, park your car and walk!
Look Kids
Big Ben...Parliment!
I just seen a preview of whats going to happen...
Their was a back-up to the 2nd college entrance from the stoplights by college square gas station as you head west this morning. I never seen that in the 11 years I have lived in the southwest. Even when it was a 4 way stop.
Just wait til those people from the college try to get out into the roundabout to head west in afternoon rush. There are going to be backups and accidents galore.
You can not have a roundabout within a 1/4 mile of a stoplight or stop sign. We have 2 of them situations. Plus we have a 3rd roundabout in another entrance to the college. So we have 2 stoplights and 3 roundabouts within 2 miles...brilliance...NOT!
I cant wait to hear how we need to fix things because of the backed up traffic and accidents.
Best part is, when those 18 wheelers try to exit the college to try to get into the roundabout and head west. Curbs and all that landscaping are going to get damaged. An 18 wheeler trying to exit during a rush...that will be fun.
This could be the biggest waste of taxpayer dollars and the designers of this could only see dollar signs and not the big picture.
TERRIBLE, ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE
No Lights Yet
I am not sure how there could have been a back up at the "lights" by College Square this morning. I drove through that intersection this morning at it was still a 4 way stop and no lights yet.