City Council Meeting Date: September 8, 2026
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Review and Discussion of Highway 3 Unsignalized Intersection Multi-Modal Review Study.
Body
Action Requested:
City Council discusses and provides input on proposed intersection improvements on Highway 3.
Summary Report:Council Discussion & Feedback
Council is not being asked to select a preferred design. Staff is seeking initial feedback on:
1. What concerns, priorities, or opportunities come to mind from the presentation? What might be missing?
2. What additional information is needed to better understand the options and tradeoffs?
3. If MnDOT has limited funding available for the broader project scope, how should lower-cost or phased improvements be considered while preserving opportunities for a more complete long-term solution?
4. Who should be included in future public and stakeholder engagement?
Council may not yet have answers to all these questions. The intent is to begin identifying issues that should guide further analysis, public engagement, and coordination with MnDOT.
Summary Background
Highway 3 serves an important state and regional transportation function while also operating as a major street through Northfield. It carries people and goods through the region, but it must also provide safe and practical access to neighborhoods, schools, businesses, parks, trails, emergency services, downtown, and the riverfront.
The corridor is also one of the most significant physical barriers between the east and west sides of the community, particularly for people walking, biking, rolling, or accessing transit. Decisions made through the upcoming MnDOT project-development process will influence safety, access, and community connectivity for several generations.
MnDOT is beginning planning and scoping for three major bridge projects:
• 2032 Highway 3 bridge replacement over the Cannon River;
• 2033 Highway 3 bridge replacement over the railroad tracks; and
• 2034 Highway 19 bridge replacement over the Cannon River.
As part of the 2025-2028 Northfield Strategic Plan, creating an improved pedestrian and biking crossing plan for TH-3 is identified as a strategic initiative. In addition, at the July 2025 NTAC meeting MNDOT provided an update that they will be scoping the 2032 TH 3 Bridge Replacement over the Cannon River and 2033 Bridge Replacement over the UP-Railroad Tracks and 2034 TH 19 Bridge Replacement over the Cannon River.
Because bridges are generally replaced only once every 50 to 75 years, these projects represent an important opportunity to consider more than the individual bridge structures. Their design will affect nearby intersections, traffic movements, trail connections, emergency access, redevelopment opportunities, and the ability to travel safely along and across Highway 3.
In February 2026, the City Council adopted Resolution 2026-022 requesting that MnDOT incorporate safe walking and biking connections-both at grade and below grade-into the bridge projects and consider the bridges within the broader Highway 3 corridor and surrounding land-use context.
Purpose and Status of the Intersection Study
To help inform MnDOT’s early planning, the City retained Bolton & Menk to conduct an initial multimodal review of four currently unsignalized Highway 3 intersections:
• Highway 3 and Greenvale Avenue West;
• Highway 3 and St. Olaf Avenue West;
• Highway 3 and Riverview Drive; and
• Highway 3 and Heritage Drive/Cannon Lane.
The study evaluates existing traffic operations, crash patterns, intersection geometry, speeds, walking and biking facilities, local access, and emergency-response needs. It then identifies potential traffic-control and geometric concepts for further consideration.
This is an initial technical analysis intended to:
1. Document community safety and access concerns;
2. Identify a reasonable range of potential improvements;
3. Give MnDOT specific corridor issues and concepts to evaluate during project scoping;
4. Identify questions requiring additional study, public input, and agency coordination; and
5. Avoid designing the bridge projects in isolation from adjacent intersections and community connections.
The study is not a final corridor plan, engineering design, funding commitment, or recommendation to construct every concept shown. Additional traffic analysis, survey work, design development, public engagement, environmental review, cost evaluation, and MnDOT approval will be required.
The study reviews existing roadway corridor characteristics which include Roadway Functional Class, Typical Roadway Section, Speed Limits, Traffic Control, and Pedestrian & Bike Facilities.
The study found that Greenvale Avenue and Heritage Drive/Cannon Lane are operating outside the expected safety range when compared with similar intersections. Rear-end crashes are the predominant crash type at Greenvale Avenue, while right-angle crashes are most common at Heritage Drive/Cannon Lane. The study also identified peak-period side-street delays, difficult crossings of Highway 3, and emergency-response access concerns at Riverview Drive.
TH-3 & Greenvale Avenue
To improve intersection safety along with walking and biking, multiple improvement options reviewed. All options include extension of a trail to the TH-3 Railroad Bridge.
Option 1 - Traffic Signal
Option 2 - Roundabout
Option 3 - Curb Extension with Side Street Stop Control and RRFB
TH-3 & St. Olaf Avenue
To improve intersection safety along with walking and biking, multiple improvement options reviewed.
Option 1 - ¾ Access (No east-west across TH-3)
Option 2 - Roundabout
TH-3 & Heritage Drive/Cannon Lane
To improve intersection safety along with walking and biking, multiple improvement options reviewed.
Option 1 - Traffic Signal
Option 2 - ¾ Access (No east-west across TH-3)
Riverview Drive
The police department identified issues with access onto TH-3 for emergency response especially during high traffic times.
Option 1 - Emergency Vehicle Hybrid Beacon (this option could also function as pedestrian beacon.)
Option 2 - Traffic Signal (this would also allow emergency vehicles to signal the light)
Bolton-Menk will present an overview of the study, the next steps would be coordination with MnDOT upcoming bridge improvement projects and meeting with the public.
The Northfield Transportation Advisory Committee (NTAC), received this presentation at their July Meeting. At the meeting, due to the scope of the upcoming MnDOT bridge replacement project and how these will impact the community for the next 50-75 years, NTAC recommended creation of a stakeholder committee to provide input on MnDOT’s project scoping study.
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
This work implements the 2025-2028 Strategic Plan initiative to create a pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvement plan for Highway 3.
It also advances the 2045 Comprehensive Plan direction to:
• Complete a safe and connected system for biking, walking, and rolling;
• Improve connections across barriers such as Highway 3, the Cannon River, and the railroad;
• Collaborate with MnDOT to improve safety and connectivity at major intersections; and
• Advocate for a Highway 3 corridor that supports slower speeds, safe intersections, local access, regional mobility, and connections to downtown, transit, trails, and the riverfront.
Alternative Options:
Council may provide additional direction, request further analysis before advancing public engagement, or limit the next phase to coordination with MnDOT. No construction alternative is being approved at this time.
Financial Impacts:
There is no immediate construction expenditure associated with this discussion.
The study contains preliminary planning-level estimates ranging from approximately $90,000 for limited improvements to approximately $4.5 million for major intersection reconstruction. Estimates are stated in 2031 dollars and generally assume that each intersection is constructed as a stand-alone project. Actual costs could be lower if improvements are incorporated into a larger MnDOT corridor or bridge project.
Project eligibility, funding sources, cost participation between the City and MnDOT, grant opportunities, right-of-way needs, and ongoing maintenance responsibilities have not yet been determined. These factors will be evaluated before any project is presented for authorization.
Tentative Timelines:
The following are general tentative “next steps” rather than specific timelines as follows:
• Document Council priorities and concerns;
• Continue coordination with MnDOT and its bridge-scoping consultant;
• Determine the scope and membership of a corridor stakeholder group;
• Incorporate the intersection study into current and future MnDOT studies;
• Conduct public and stakeholder engagement;
• Further evaluate corridor-wide safety, operations, access, cost, and phasing; and
• Return to Council at future decision points before selecting or funding specific improvements.