----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 4:20
PM
Subject: [Mpls] I-35W Access Project -
The flyover, northbound ramp and taking of housing
Today at the PAC meeting, I asked the lead
engineer for clarification on the design of the flyover and the northbound
ramps and, what it is about the design that requires taking of housing on 2nd
Avenue. With so many details, I forgot exactly how this worked. It's an
important clarification because I believe that some people have the
understanding that it is the flyover to 28th Street that requires the taking
of 2nd Avenue houses. That's not true. It's actually the design of the
northbound entrance ramp from Lake Street that does this, at least as
currently designed. I remember the engineers being asked a while back if the
northbound ramp could be designed differently to avoid this consequence and
the reply was no, I believe because of how it interfaced with the proposed
(outside) bus lane on the freeway, which had to provide sufficient
acceleration space for the busses leaving the Lake Street transit station
before they merged with the northbound entrance ramp traffic. The bus lane is
no longer planned to be in the outside lane, but locating it in the center
doesn't, I guess, change the design of the northbound enteric ramp.
Thus, getting rid of or reconfiguring the flyover as part of
the design, but leaving the northbound entrance ramp, will not eliminate the
need to remove housing.
Jeanne Massey
Kingfield
