City Council Meeting Date: February 4, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Sean Simonson, Engineering Manager
David Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
The City Council approves Resolution to Accept the Feasibility Report and Authorize Preparation of Plans and Specifications for the 2026 Spring Creek Road Reconstruction & Mill Towns State Trail Improvements Project.
Body
Action Requested:
The City Council approves Resolution to Accept the Feasibility Report and Authorize Preparation of Plans and Specifications for the 2026 Spring Creek Road Reconstruction & Mill Towns State Trail Improvements Project Project.
Summary Report:
City Council Ordered the Preparation of Feasibility Report for the Spring Creek Road Reconstruction and Mill Towns State Trail Improvements Project at the June 4, 2024, City Council meeting, which includes the following project areas (Attachment 2):
• Spring Creek Road from Woodley Street to Huron Court (Reconstruction)
• Mill Towns State Trail (to Woodley Street)
Staff held a discussion with the City Council at the January 21, 2025 meeting and heard feedback regarding the intersection of Spring Creek Road and Woodley Street. Staff had a Traffic Safety and Warrant Analysis Study (Attachment 3) completed for the intersection. An all-way stop is not warranted at this time due to traffic volumes or crash history, however, could be implemented due to sight line issues along with the additional recommendations below:
• Increase intersection lighting to provide adequate night-time lighting levels.
• Improve the pedestrian crossing planned for the east side of the intersection to include high visibility crosswalk markings, crosswalk warning signs, advance stop for pedestrian signs, and advance crosswalk warning signs.
• Maintain the two-way stop control and trim or remove bushes and trees to improve sight lines.
• Implement a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) for the pedestrian crossing if two-way stop control is maintained.
• Implement all-way stop or roundabout control when warranted due to a traffic volume increase or if there is a decrease in safety that could be rectified by a change in traffic control.
In addition to the intersection analysis, a speed study performed during the study showed that speeds near the intersection along Woodley Street is higher than the posted speed limit, increasing the risk of crashes and indicating that sight lines are even longer.
Staff is working with Rice County on a final recommendation for the intersection and will come back to City Council prior to final design with a recommendation for the intersection for approval.
The Feasibility Report Approval phase is a critical juncture in the project phase with rapidly decreasing influence on project scope (location of facilities, infrastructure, etc.) and rapidly increasing costs of changes. Going forward, the overall location of facilities and scoping as outlined is assumed to be supported along with the related estimated costs. Therefore, the City Council should raise any issues, questions or clarifications now with anything in the report as the next phases will be detailed construction designs that will assume the overall direction of scope as approved by this Feasibility Report.
Alternative Options:
Staff would be open to any additional alternatives City Council may bring forth.
Financial Impacts:
Please see the feasibility report for the estimated project costs and estimated project funding (Attachment 3).
Tentative Timelines:
See attached Project Process (Attachment 4) for additional project milestones.