Extensive Sibley Memorial Highway Upgrades Kick Off This Summer with Traffic Lights at I-35E Juncture

Traffic signals are scheduled to be installed this summer at the ramps of Interstate 35E and Highway 13 (Sibley Memorial Highway) in Lilydale. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) project, scheduled to begin Aug. 18, is the first of a series of phased construction projects planned for Highway 13 from Interstate 35E to the north end of Mendota.  

As part of a pavement repair project slated to begin earlier in the summer, a turn lane onto westbound Highway 13 from the east I-35E ramp will also be added.*

The lights will be installed to increase pedestrian safety and help control peak hour traffic. A talking traffic signal, meant to assist the sight-impaired, will be part of this summer’s signal installation.

An accompanying sidewalk connection between the crosswalks at those intersections and the pedestrian trail that runs alongside Highway 13 will also be installed. The project this summer is expected to be complete within 30 days.

Resident Concerns

Not all area residents see this summer's construction as an improvement, however. After hearing about the planned traffic signal installation at the intersections, Lilydale resident Bill Ferguson started a petition calling for the project’s termination.

“It’s unnecessary,” said Ferguson. “(The traffic signals) will just create a problem.” Ferguson said that, while the signals might have been a welcome addition in the past, when a third lane was added to Highway 13 any existing traffic problems were resolved. Now, Ferguson contends the signals are simply a waste of money.

After hearing about the plans, Ferguson said he spent a morning observing traffic at the two intersections between 7-8 a.m. Detecting no significant delays during the morning rush hour, he encouraged neighbors to sign his petition.

Ferguson presented his rationale for scrapping the project to the Lilydale City Council this month after filing his petition at City Hall. The council subsequently recommended that Mayor Anita Pampusch consult with representatives from MnDOT regarding the necessity of the signals. Pampusch and City Administrator Teish Stafne are scheduled to meet with MnDOT representatives on March 29 to discuss the matter.

What Lies Ahead

While MnDOT expects traffic disruption during the summer 2011 project to be minor–with pedestrian traffic virtually unaffected–residents and visitors to Lilydale, Mendota and Mendota Heights could encounter more significant disruptions in the remaining projects scheduled for Summer 2012 and summer 2015.

MnDOT expects that the regional trail along Highway 13 will see short-term closures during the construction of a new on the north end of Mendota during summer 2012.

As a part of the overall project, the existing gravel pedestrian and bicycle path will also be paved.

Thru-traffic will be diverted during the 2015 project, when a large portion of Highway 13 between I-35E and the north end of Mendota is resurfaced and a curb and gutter system is installed. The road will remain open to local residents and business traffic.

As part of the drainage infrastructure improvements scheduled for 2015, approximately 170 feet of 18-inch storm sewer pipe in Lilydale will be replaced by a higher-capacity 24-inch pipe necessary to accommodate increased storm water flow. Upgrades to the existing subsurface drain tile system will be made. MnDOT will also be making changes to existing Lilydale drainage systems in order to accommodate increased water flow from the storm drain improvements along Highway 13.

City and state officials expect water quality and drainage in the area will be significantly improved after all three phases of the construction project are complete.

“It’s very exciting,” said Lilydale city council member Marilyn Lundberg about the project and its potential cost savings. “Having a cooperative project that serves both MnDOT’s and Lilydale’s needs is wonderful.”

Lundberg was also enthusiastic about the installation of traffic lights at the I-35E ramps, which will provide additional safety to bicyclists and pedestrians at what she says is a dangerous intersection. She emphasized that the new traffic signals are designed to comply with the American Disability Act.

Sheila Kauppi, metro district south engineer for MnDOT and project manager for the Highway 13 construction projects, reported that the agency plans to move forward with construction of all three phases. While a contract for the summer 2011 traffic signals has already been awarded, the state agency has yet to award contracts for the second and third phases.

MnDOT has identified money for the 2012 and 2015 construction projects in its budget, with the cumulative cost for both phases currently estimated at $9 million.

*This article has been clarified to indicate that the turn lane will be added to the I-35E ramp, not to Highway 13.