Council moves forward with future plans for Main Street

Future plans for the reconstruction of the city’s Main Street moved forward on Monday, June 6, as the New Prague City Council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The council also approved a draft scope of work.

City Engineer Chris Cavett of the firm Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH), Inc., and Chris Bower, Project Manager of MnDOT District 7 presented the proposal. Bower explained that Main Street, which is also Highway 19, and the area south of it were covered by District 7 in Mankato. Cavett said over the last three years the city has had discussions with MnDOT about Main Street. Since some of the city’s infrastructure under Main Street is nearly a century old, it was felt a full reconstruction project was needed. If the work was led by MnDOT it would likely not be done until 2025. It was decided by the council in June of 2015 that the city would lead the project with it to be done in 2020. Cavett said the next step was the memorandum of understanding.

The draft of the scope of work details that the project will reconstruct Highway 19 (Main Street) from the intersection of Highway 21 on the west to Seventh Avenue SE. Details also include replacing areas with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible concrete sidewalks, replace street lighting, replace storm sewer system and replace sanitary sewer and watermain.

Bower noted the next step will be a Joint Powers Agreement. That is expected to be placed before the council in July. SEH would also be presenting the city with a proposal for preliminary engineering services.

One of the steps in the project is the collection of data, which will include a survey, traffic counts, ADA work and look at existing traffic operations. Following work will be the completion of the street designs, lighting and landscaping options and alternative traffic operations, plus the geometric layout of the project.

City Administrator Mike Johnson noted with all that work it was why they were beginning four years before the project.

Council member Amy Jirik said the city has a great downtown. She wondered how much say the city would have on the work in that area. Bower replied that St. Peter was a role model of what they would like to do.

Council member Shawn Ryan asked how long the construction would last. Cavett responded it...

To see more on this story pick up the June 9, 2016 print edition of The New Prague Times.