St. Peter approves new roundabout, awaits county support

Jan. 25—ST. PETER — The St. Peter City Council approved a study this week recommending a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Sunrise Drive, located west of downtown.

The city seeks a change because the current all-way-stop setup is causing concerns about traffic following the construction of a new high school about a mile to the west on Broadway. (Broadway becomes County Road 5 west of the intersection.)

Population growth, planned residential development to the west and north of the site, and the construction of a new fire station in the intersection's northwest quadrant are expected to exacerbate the issues. About 10,000 more vehicles are expected to pass through daily by 2041.

As required by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the city paid to conduct an intersection control evaluation. Engineering firm Bolton & Menk found the estimated construction cost is $1.57 million. The city's hope is for design to finish by April and for construction to occur from May to August.

A cost-sharing agreement with Nicollet County will have to be made before construction begins, however, because the western leg of the intersection is owned by the county.

County Public Works Director Seth Greenwood said his department would normally recommend a delay of five to 10 years because the intersection performs well enough, despite the occasional queue of cars.

But an "added wrinkle" exists because the city hopes to use a $1.25 million road improvement grant it acquired from the state last year. The catch: That money must be spent by the end of 2024.

The looming expiration date of that money prompted Greenwood to invite a Bolton & Menk representative to explain the study's findings Tuesday at the Nicollet County Board meeting.

"It's hard to walk away from that grant money to be able to do an intersection improvement here," Greenwood said of the city's motivation.

He gave no dollar amount or percentage needed from the county, which led commissioners to demur. The difference between the state grant and the projected cost is $320,000.

County commissioners said they appreciate the need for improved traffic flow but are withholding approval of the plan until they know the cost for the county.

Traffic data collected over two weekdays in September show that 3,500-5,000 vehicles pass through the Sunrise and Broadway intersection in an average day, said Ross Tillman, a transportation engineer at Bolton & Menk. Each day about 40-50 pedestrians and 11 bikes cross the road at that point.

The five crashes that occurred at the site from 2012-2021 are lower than the state average for similar intersections, and the only prominent delay is for eastbound traffic coming from near the high school.

But planned residential development near the spot is projected to bring through 10,000 more vehicles a day by 2041, Tillman said. Delays and queues are likely to spike if an all-way stop remains in place.

Traffic engineers favor roundabouts primarily because of the reduced risk of crashes that cause injuries or deaths.

A roundabout is slightly more expensive than a traffic light but would result in fewer crashes and delays. With a stoplight, 18 crashes and six crashes involving injuries are predicted. A roundabout reduces the estimates to 13 and two, respectively.

Tillman noted that eastbound drivers on County Road 5 would be ready for a roundabout because of an existing roundabout, built a few years ago, located a mile to the west near St. Peter High School.

Commissioners John Luepke and Marie Dranttel voiced concerns about trucks facing conflicts because a potential roundabout might be too small. Tillman said construction planners would ensure the roadway is large enough for semis to navigate.

"It would seem to me that a roundabout is a better option in so many cases," said Commissioner Jack Kolars said. "It prevents T-bone crashes, it's safer and also you don't have to replace lights, or lights won't go dark, and there won't be confusion."