Met Council, Park and Rec Board agree to bridge for Kenilworth Channel SWLRT crossing

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

In Minneapolis, Minn., the Metropolitan Council and the Park and Recreation Board have reached an understanding on the Southwest Light Rail Transit (Green Line Extension) crossing of the Kenilworth Channel.

 

With its engineering studies complete, park board staff and legal counsel are recommending to park board commissioners support of a light-rail transit bridge over the channel. The agencies have an agreed upon memorandum of understanding (MOU) that provides for a more direct park board role in the design of the proposed bridges over the channel and earlier involvement in any light-rail transit project to address impacts to park land and park resources owned by the park board.

“Thanks to the diligent work of the park board and project engineers, we now have a path forward for this critically important transit investment, which is a vital link in the 21st century transit system we will build here in the greater Twin Cities metro,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck. “The council is pleased to have the park board’s support for bridging the channel.”

Tunnel options evaluated by park board and council project engineers would significantly add cost and time to complete the project. Increased involvement from the park board as bridge designs are advanced will inform the designs and help maintain the park-like setting throughout the corridor.

“We have received a lot of new information this month from our consultants and the Metropolitan Council. The park board is very optimistic about the new, more collaborative efforts for the ongoing work on the Southwest Light Rail, the Bottineau Line and any future mass transit that may impact parkland in the metro area,” said Park Board President Liz Wielinski.

Duininck noted that the council agreed to pay the park board 50 percent of the engineering costs, not to exceed $250,000, incurred during the board’s exploration of additional tunnel options because the work will be incorporated in the council’s environmental documentation and analysis. The council will benefit from analysis conducted by the park board commissioned engineering study to further evaluate tunnel alternatives under the channel. This information will help inform the 4(f) analysis that will be addressed in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) and the final 4(f) analysis.

The MOU calls for the Metropolitan Council to work together with the park board on design considerations offered by the board in the final engineering and design of the bridges over the Kenilworth Channel and change project office policy to engage the board more directly in the Southwest LRT project and earlier in any light rail projects that involve park land.

The MOU calls for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to work with Metropolitan Council earlier in the planning process to identify potential Section 4(f) impacts for park and recreational areas within its jurisdiction and collaborate more closely with the council on design principles and final design and engineering of the bridges over the Kenilworth Channel.

The MOU will allow Southwest LRT and future light-rail projects to move through the environmental review process more smoothly. Both the Metropolitan Council and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board are expected to take action on the MOU at their next regularly scheduled meetings.

 

 

 

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