City Council Meeting Date: January 21, 2020
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David E. Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Subject:
TITLE
Consider Approving Plans and Specifications and Order Advertisement for Bids for the Trunk Highway (TH) 246 and Jefferson Parkway Roundabout Project.
BODY
Action Requested:
The City Council considers approval of the attached Resolution approving the plans and specifications and authorizing the advertisement for bids for the TH 246 and Jefferson Parkway Roundabout Project (2019STRT-A43).
Summary Report:
The final plans and specification have been prepared. The plans include pedestrian underpasses under all four legs of the intersection and a crosswalk installation at the High School entrance.
Staff has provided an updated landscape plan rendering (Attachments 2 & 3) for the project based on feedback received at the November 12, 2019 City Council Meeting. The plans include a gateway entrance monument within the roundabout facing south for a welcoming entrance. The plan would be to include a limestone block style theme that has been contemplated in the Gateway Plan and incorporated throughout other corridor projects including downtown and Highway 3. The gateway monument will have space for art to be located behind the monument with a concrete pad area, which is supported by this projects assembled Public Art Review Committee (PARC). These items are still under final review with MnDOT.
The project PARC also have met and have finalized the overall scope of the call for artist for the project. The theme suggested for the artist is the history of Northfield ecology. For example, it could include different ecologies in Northfield history such as Big Woods, River, Prairie, and Oak Savannah. A call request will call out potential areas for public art such as the each of the underpasses such as interior walls, areas leading up to the pedestrian entrances, as well as the pad behind the roundabout monument sign. The project PARC suggested the underpass on the west side crossing Jefferson Parkway (school side) be identified as a preferred priority area for public art on the proposal. Additionally, the request will contemplate thought for future incremental additions funding dependent.
The proposed action tonight is to approve the project for bidding, and the bid opening will be February 27, 2020. Staff have met with private utility owners and contractors regarding the project schedule. We are proposing to close the intersection early May 2020 and construction will occur through the middle of October. This will allow adequate time for private utility companies to relocate their utilities and for construction of the roundabout.
Alternative Options:
The City Council could delay this project; however, staff believes the project should be bid early and awarded March 10, 2020 in order to allow sufficient time for the pedestrian underpasses to be ordered and built.
Financial Impacts:
Below are the estimated total project costs, and the estimated total project funding.
Tentative Timelines:
The bids will be received on February 27, 2020 and awarded March 10, 2020.
Staff will be bringing other items for action by Council related to the project. These include final LPP Agreement, School District Deeds/Temp. Construction Easements, LRIP Agreement, Detour Agreement with Rice County.