Thief River Falls conducting corridor study on section of Highway 59, expected to be done by fall

Delaney Otto, Grand Forks Herald
·2 min read

Mar. 23—THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. — The city of Thief River Falls is considering the future of Highway 59 through a corridor study being conducted through spring and summer, with the goal for a roadway concept to be finished and ready for review by the fall.

The corridor study was introduced to Thief River Falls residents in a public open house Thursday, March 14. Travis Giffen, public works director for the city, said it was a good first meeting, and more involvement from the community will be encouraged as the project continues.

"The turnout was good," he said. "We got a lot of good feedback."

The corridor study, done in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, is looking into the portion of Highway 59 from approximately First Street East to the southern city limits of Thief River Falls, identified as 155th Street Northeast in the official description of the corridor study available on MnDOT's website. The mission statement for the study, Giffen said, is to "improve pedestrian and vehicle safety, highway access, address stormwater drainage issues and the poor pavement condition, while maintaining traffic flow and creating a welcoming gateway to the city."

Pedestrian access in one point of the corridor study Giffen said will be important. The section being studied doesn't have many safe bike or pedestrian crossings, and only one stop light, he said, which is especially a problem for those wanting to get to the retail businesses, hotels and restaurants in the area. Stormwater drainage is another issue that's led to pavement deterioration.

The findings of the survey, as well as a roadway concept, will be ready for review in the fall, Giffen said. The public will be able to make comments on the roadway designs and fine-tune them. After that, construction is expected to start.

The public was also able to make comments about the corridor study and the state of Highway 59 at the open house on March 14, where Thief River Fall residents learned about the project and what to expect out of it. Residents who couldn't make it to the meeting can still see the presentation on MnDOT's website, as well as make suggestions and share feedback through an

interactive map of the corridor

.

To Giffen, it's important that residents get a say in the future of the corridor.

"In my mind, you want to build ownership for the community," he said. "Whether you're a user, an owner or the city of Thief River Falls or the owner of the right of way, everyone needs to take a relationship in the ownership of what's coming next," he said.