Public gets look at 13/19 proposal

Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer

About 35 people attended an open house Tuesday, Nov. 28, where the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) showed off plans for proposed work on Highway 13/19 and three intersections on the east side of New Prague.

The open house, held at the New Prague Library, allowed people to ask questions about the project. Work on the highway is scheduled for next summer. Plans call for installation of a traffic signal at 10th Avenue and contruction of roundabouts at Chalupsky and Alton avenues.

The project has already been approved by the New Prague City Council.

Mary Dieken, project manager with MnDOT District 7, said the open house went well.

Also present at the meeting were New Prague city planners Renee Christianson and Ken Ondich.

The project also calls for medians, or raised islands, roughly from Alton Avenue west to Rising Moon Alley, near Sunrise Avenue. The medians will eliminate cross traffic and left-hand turns from side streets and driveways except at the controlled intersections.

A layout of the plan was on display at the meeting and copies of it were available for those attending. At the open house people could look at the layout and ask questions.

There were a few concerns about the project, mainly about how traffic would be detoured while work is going on.

Dieken said while nothing has been finalized, detours are being proposed for Scott County Road 89, (Redwing Avenue) and Scott County Road 2. MnDOT has to meet with with officials from the city and Scott County to discuss the possible detour. Also being discussed is keeping portions of 10th Avenue and Chalupsky Avenue open during the construction to allow access for residents and emergency vehicles.

There's a lot of coordination that goes with this