June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
No plans for Hwy. 371 Pine River to Walker four-lane expansion
MnDOT's 20-year transportation needs plan has identified $5.9 billion worth of projects, for which only $1.4 billion has been identified to fund it. The north Highway 371 section is not on that under-funded list, Steven J. Voss, district planning director, wrote in a letter to the county.
The state projects 11,200 vehicles per day on a two-lane highway before MnDOT considers the road warranting expansion to four lanes. Highway 371 from Nisswa to Jenkins met that level for the 2009 to 2018 timeframe, Voss indicated. The Jenkins to Pine River section is projected to hit 11,200 vehicles between 2019 and 2018.
The Pine River to Walker section carries only about 5,000 vehicles per day now.
"We currently have not identified funding in our highway investment plan for the construction of the Jenkins to Pine River segment. And, in regards to further expansion plans north of Pine River, we have none," Voss wrote.
"our District will not start planning for future expansion projects on other segments of Highway 371 north of Pine River at this time," according to Voss.
Administrator Robert Yochum told the board traffic volumes always increase above four-lane expansion projects. The fastest way to increase traffic volume enough to get on MnDOT's list will be to see the Nisswa to Pine River segments completed sooner than current projections, he said.
The board asked Yochum to forward MnDOT's response to the Leech Lake Tribal Council and to ask their support for speeding the four-land expansion to Pine River.
In other highway business Tuesday, County Engineer David Enblom obtained board approval to ask Widseth, Smith and Nolting to provide an alternate option for storm water fall-out collection from County State Aid Highway 31 in Pillager. The project will cost $8,000.
Enblom said current highway runoff goes toward an environmentally sensitive area, which could cause future problems. It was installed when the road was reconstructed done six years ago.
Anyone interested in seeing Ah-Gwah-Ching now that all the state buildings and underground infrastructure have been removed, can join the county board on a site tour at 2 p.m. Nov. 9.
The former state facility site is located just south of Walker on the west side of Highway 371. The gate for the fenced property normally is locked.
Cass County now owns the central property area where the state's buildings used to be located. The county has long-term plans to build county buildings there, but has no target start date. A portion of the county-owed area also has been designated for a health care campus if a health care provider commits to such a development.[[In-content Ad]]The DNR owns the site's Leech Lake shoreline. The state still owns and has been trying to sell an acreage north of the county's land.
New sewer and water lines have been run to the site from Walker, following the site's annexation to the city.
The county board authorized making all but one final payment to contractors who worked on the demolition project and asked Walker and Shingobee Township for their suggestions for realigning the road into Ah-Gwah-Ching (County Road 290).
The Legislature authorized $5.2 million for the county to pay for demolition and to prepare the county site for new uses. Administrator Robert Yochum reported the county did not spend $780,000 of the allocations, which came in multiple grants.
Chief Financial Officer Larry Wolfe calculated his time, Yochum's and that of their administrative staff spent overseeing the Ah-Gwah-Ching demolition probably equaled $250,051 in wages and benefits. This does not count time County Engineer David Enblom or Land Commissioner Joshua Stevenson contributed.
Yochum said this county expense was more than he anticipated when the project began, but said he does not believe the county can recover those costs from the state.
The city, neighboring townships and Cass County Economic Development Corporation have asked whether the remaining state bonding money allocated for Ah-Gwah-Ching reuse could be used to help a health care business to begin a project on the site.
Yochum told the board that is a possibility, but would require state legislative authorization.
The board decided Tuesday to maintain action taken in 2003 against offering business subsidies at this time.
The action effectively denied a request for tax increment financing for a proposed resort redevelopment project on the south shore of Leech Lake east of Shingobee Island.
The current Blue Water Lodge proposal, which is scheduled next to go to the county planning commission, calls for replacing existing resort cabins with 23 new cottages and remodeling a closed retail boat sales business building into a bar and restaurant.
Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.
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