Minnesota state lawmakers tour proposed grade-separation site in need of funding

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
image description
Anoka County Minnesota

Members of Minnesota's State Senate Capital Investment Committee joined leaders from Anoka County and the city of Coon Rapids to hear more about the need for a railroad overpass at Hanson Blvd. during a recent statewide bonding tour.

 

Anoka County and the city of Coon Rapids are requesting state funding help in the 2016 legislative session to build the overpass, estimated to cost $25,200,000.

This segment of BNSF is the busiest rail line in the state, with an average of 81 trains travelling on the line per day, many as long as 125 cars in length. This area is also a staging area, where trains wait for clearance to enter the nearby Northtown Rail Yard. The staged trains block traffic for extended periods of time and also delay emergency response vehicles. Minnesota Department of Transportation has identified the Hanson Blvd. rail crossing as a top priority for a future grade separation.

“This overpass is essential to address significant safety concerns, particularly when ambulances and other emergency vehicles are delayed waiting for long trains and trains stopped for staging,” said Anoka County Commissioner Scott Schulte, who chairs the county’s Transportation Committee and whose district includes the city of Coon Rapids. “Separating train traffic from vehicle traffic will eliminate lengthy backups on Hanson Blvd. and nearby Crooked Lake Blvd., improving safety and saving time and major inconvenience for motorists.”

Current funding plans call for the state to pay 50 percent of the overpass cost with 30 percent coming from the Counties Transit Improvement Board, 10 percent from Anoka County, five percent from the city of Coon Rapids and five percent from BNSF.

Tags: