[0:00] Meeting number nine already. Man, time's [0:03] flying. Meeting number nine, July 24th, [0:06] 2025. We are recording these and posting [0:09] the videos online, the bi-weekly meeting [0:12] for the Vernon Avenue Highway 100 [0:15] interchange project. And I'm Chad [0:17] Milner, engineering director for the [0:18] city. [0:20] Again, thank you for the patience. [0:22] Businesses are open and accessible. Uh [0:26] we have all the construction related [0:27] stuff. everyone's well aware of what's [0:29] going on out there. [0:31] Continue to be courteous of the fellow [0:34] drivers. Stop for pedestrians and [0:35] crosswalks. [0:38] We're recommending using the crosswalk [0:39] at Vernon and Eden instead of that Eden [0:42] Avenue bid block crossing. We just don't [0:45] feel we can make it as safe as it needs [0:47] to be with the volumes of traffic that [0:49] need to use Eden Avenue for this project [0:51] for the detour. So again, we recommend [0:54] you use that Vernon Eden crosswalk at [0:57] the full intersection. Um, and then we [1:00] also continue to get calls and emails [1:01] about courteousness of the drivers [1:04] around the roundabout. Uh, I wish we [1:07] could change some of those behaviors, [1:08] but yeah, there's some people that [1:10] aren't allowing others to get in. So [1:13] there's somebody driving through there. [1:14] I would suggest if you see a long line, [1:16] just slow down. Let one or two cars [1:19] sneak in. the car behind you honks at [1:22] you, make sure you wave with all five [1:23] fingers and uh proceed on. So maybe we [1:27] can change some of those behaviors going [1:29] forward. [1:31] These are our goals again after the [1:34] project goals, you know, improving the [1:35] safety and mobility for all users, [1:37] improving traffic operations, [1:40] and improving those connections between [1:42] residential and commercial areas. Then [1:45] the schedule there is listed again on [1:46] the bottom. And we've talked at this [1:48] meeting of continuing to hold to that [1:51] date for this year, but we got challenge [1:54] with the west butments of the Verdon [1:56] Avenue bridge, which we'll discuss and [1:58] got a slight update in that. And if [2:01] people aren't aware, this is the project [2:03] area west of Interlockan Boulevard on [2:06] Vernon Avenue all the way over to near [2:10] city hall by Graange Road and 50th [2:12] Street. So this is the project area. The [2:15] orange are the two big bridges that take [2:17] the most amount of work for the project [2:20] and those are moving along right now. [2:24] Lots of communications. You continue to [2:25] see press releases [2:27] whenever we do a major traffic cha [2:30] change. So, lots of stuff just went out [2:32] this week on all these different [2:34] methods. Continue to have these [2:36] bi-weekly meetings. You can sign up for [2:37] the email updates. Go to the better [2:39] together website. Uh the map on the [2:42] bottom is the new information and I'll [2:45] get into that a little bit, but that is [2:47] the new map for [2:49] Monday. So starting Monday, the onramp [2:53] to northbound high 100 from 50th Street [2:57] will be closed. So there will be no [3:00] access to northbound 100 from either [3:04] Graange Road or 50th Street. and we'll [3:06] show you that a little more detail, but [3:09] that's the major traffic change for next [3:11] week. We know it's going to be [3:12] challenging, people finding their new [3:14] routes and we'll continue to monitor [3:17] traffic and see if we need to add [3:19] signage, speed display signs, other [3:22] things along those frontage roads [3:25] heading to the south because there is a [3:27] on-ramp from Benton Avenue. So, the [3:30] local detour is using the east and west [3:33] frontage roads. [3:35] uh sign detour. The more regional detour [3:38] is getting onto southbound 100, [3:42] taking the eastbound 62 exit and then [3:45] immediately taking the northbound high [3:47] 100 exit to get on northbound highway [3:50] 100. [3:53] Other activities, so interlocking in [3:56] Vernon, if you've seen it, it is [3:58] continues to be free flowing there. [4:00] That's working rather well to have that [4:02] traffic pushed to the south and east. [4:05] Thus Young Lane lane continues to be [4:07] closed near Edina liquor store. Those [4:10] are the lane shifts we've been doing for [4:12] underground utility work. And then [4:14] within that area where the traffic is [4:16] flowing today, you'll see that curb and [4:18] sidewalk and paving. Some of those areas [4:21] are complete. At least the first layers [4:24] of paving is complete. Um, and then [4:28] they'll start to work on that other [4:29] corner on the caribou side when the pipe [4:32] work is done in that area. So, starting [4:35] to piece it together. The exception is [4:37] the median that's west on Vernon. We're [4:39] going to leave the median out in case we [4:41] need to do lane shifts as they build the [4:43] west abutment of the Vernon Avenue [4:45] bridge. They might need a little bit [4:46] more space there. So, uh, but they're [4:49] trying to get done as much as they can [4:50] now and reopen as much as they can. [4:55] So, the big thing we've been talking [4:57] about the last few meetings is this [4:58] Excel power line that was in a different [5:00] location horizontally and vertically [5:02] circled in the picture. It was hit. It [5:05] was repaired. And then the two agencies [5:08] CPKC Rail and Excel have been going back [5:11] and forth having discussions, permits, [5:13] agreements, all that kind of stuff, [5:16] figure out when they can move it. So, a [5:18] permit was submitted by Excel Energy to [5:21] the railroad [5:23] to put in a casing pipe and relocate [5:26] this power line around the bridge [5:28] foundations. And it is under review by [5:31] CPKC Rail. We've paid to expedite that [5:34] review, but we still don't know exactly [5:37] when that permit's going to be done and [5:39] hopefully approved. And then Excel has [5:42] to schedule crews to deenergize that [5:45] line as our contractor assists with [5:49] burying that new steel conduit where [5:51] these lines will be inside of around the [5:54] bridge foundation. So still got concerns [5:57] with schedule and ability to catch up. [6:01] We still have no control because these [6:03] the energy company Excel and the rail [6:06] are their own agencies. We don't have uh [6:09] jurisdiction to force them to expedite [6:12] their things. We continue to communicate [6:14] with them every other day. Um and again, [6:18] we are getting very close to major [6:20] impacts. So, more to come on that. [6:24] And then the road closure I mentioned. [6:25] So, this is a graphic showing that that [6:27] northbound on-ramp from 50th Street will [6:29] be closing on Monday, July 28th. We [6:34] don't have a date when it would open, [6:36] but for sure to late fall. They're [6:38] building noise walls, adjusting the [6:40] ramp, the traffic signals adjacent to [6:43] the bridge, sidewalks, all that stuff. [6:46] Uh there is a GIS map on the better [6:48] together page that shows you that [6:51] closure and then those detours that I [6:53] explained earlier, the local detours at [6:55] Benton and the larger detour down the [6:58] Highway 62. [7:01] Preview. At some point, we're going to [7:03] need to close the southbound off-ramp [7:06] from 100. So, it's the left X out on [7:10] this graphic. We don't have an exact [7:12] date yet, but there's been some [7:13] discussions mid to late August. [7:16] Uh, could be that time. So, here the [7:20] detour to get into the district at this [7:22] point would be down. Uh, again, there's [7:24] kind of two. You can take the exit at [7:26] Benton Avenue, take frontage roads, or [7:28] the big sign regional detour would be [7:30] Highway 62. you come back northbound on [7:34] 100 and use the Graange Road exit. [7:37] So, that is still being discussed on [7:39] when that final ramp closure would occur [7:43] uh for these two ramps. We still have [7:44] the Graange exit at some point in the [7:47] future. Um some other project tenative [7:50] dates, the Highway 100 bridge [7:52] construction is going really well. Uh [7:54] girders, the placement is tenatively [7:56] scheduled for the week first week of [7:58] September and this would be night work. [8:00] So you'd really see that bridge starting [8:03] to take shape after those have been [8:05] placed. So very tentative at this point. [8:08] That's roughly what the contractor's [8:10] thinking. [8:12] And then back to some pictures that I [8:13] share every week. So this is looking [8:16] east towards the Devanis from [8:20] the Grand View Liquor side. Upper left [8:23] was six weeks ago. Bottom left was four [8:26] weeks ago. So the middle two were kind [8:29] of that last week, two weeks ago time [8:32] frame and then the bigger one on the [8:34] right hand side is from this morning. So [8:37] that's where that abutment for that [8:39] bridge that work is happening for the [8:42] Vernon Avenue bridge [8:45] down liquor store. We were closed for [8:47] two weeks while work happened. So the [8:48] photo on the left is mid midstream when [8:50] some of the concrete was placed. Just [8:52] gravel parking lot. Picture on the right [8:55] is the finished parking lot, curb, [8:59] uh, pedestrian ramps up to the front [9:01] door, new pavement, new parking stall, [9:04] paint, and ADA parking stalls. [9:09] The one on the left was from a couple [9:11] weeks ago looking east towards city [9:15] hall, I think across Highway 100. You [9:18] can see some of the forms. One on the [9:20] right is that update. So you can see the [9:23] center median pier is all the forms have [9:26] been pulled on that structure. Um work [9:30] progresses in that area. [9:34] Picture on the left is Hawthorne Court. [9:36] The apartments see that that retaining [9:39] wall continues to be built uh in [9:42] anticipation of the noise wall that'll [9:44] be going on top of it. And then the [9:47] photo on the right is again those [9:48] apartments from a different angle. And [9:49] you can see that machine in the center. [9:52] That's a big horizontal directional [9:53] drilling machine. They are starting to [9:56] drill under high 100 for a new water [10:00] mane connection. We don't have a water [10:02] mane connection that goes through this [10:04] area. So this will help make our water [10:06] distribution system more redundant and [10:09] increase fire flow in the area. So this [10:11] is a very large drill underneath high. [10:15] They'll drill underneath. Eventually, [10:18] there'll be pipe laid out on 50th Street [10:19] and then they're going to pull that pipe [10:21] back to this location on the west side [10:24] underneath the highway and then make [10:26] those final connections to the water [10:27] main system. [10:31] This is that intersection we talked [10:32] about. So, you can see Holiday in the [10:34] background in Caribou. Uh this is the [10:37] corner where they're wrapping up some of [10:38] those final utility connections to the [10:41] storm sewer. You can see where the [10:43] paving's been completed, where the curbs [10:45] been completed on the south and the east [10:47] side of that intersection. Once they get [10:49] this utility work done, they'll be doing [10:51] the street paving first the concrete [10:53] work, curbon gutter, then the sidewalks, [10:57] and then pave the first layer paving in [10:59] this area. And then that section will be [11:03] mostly complete or at least enough to be [11:05] able to shift traffic around as needed [11:07] with any future operations related to [11:09] the Vernon Avenue bridge. [11:12] And then just some other pictures. The [11:14] one on the left, you see Devon's in the [11:16] background. That's some of the forms [11:18] they use. So just some of the areas [11:21] where most people will never get to. So [11:23] you can see the the ladders and the [11:25] stairs and the grade protection with the [11:27] plastic, some of those supports. So they [11:30] fill that with concrete and then they [11:33] peel those forms away. So you can see on [11:34] the right hand side, that's a a [11:36] different area. That's the Highway 100 [11:38] bridge. But you can see the finish there [11:40] as they pull those forms away uh for the [11:43] the stuff that'll be visible from high [11:46] 100 for that bridge. And if you note [11:49] that texture on that right hand picture, [11:53] you can see in our in our renderings on [11:56] the right hand side that same texture on [11:58] the bridge. So that's where we're where [12:00] that picture here on the right is [12:02] located is on the right hand side of the [12:03] I 100 bridge from these renderings. And [12:06] again, these are the renderings of the [12:07] finished product. [12:09] So with that [12:12] I'll stop sharing and just see [12:18] there's any questions here [12:21] chat. [12:25] Uh I see Brian's typing right now. [12:28] Otherwise I don't see any other [12:29] questions this point. We'll give it a [12:32] little time. If people got questions [12:34] just put them in the chat. [12:36] happy to try to answer those. Now, [12:40] if you can't get them in there, um, you [12:43] can always contact me by email or give [12:45] me a call. [12:48] Will there be beams for or support [12:51] underneath the new Vernon Avenue bridge [12:53] like the old one? [12:57] Um, they're going to span between, so [12:59] there won't uh there won't be the same [13:02] ones like the old bridge. [13:05] Uh Barb had a question. Can you tell me [13:07] anything is being done about the traffic [13:09] control on Eden Avenue? Uh we continue [13:12] to monitor it. If we need additional [13:13] support, we're going to ask if we need [13:15] additional signs. Again, it's behaviors. [13:17] How do you get people to be more [13:18] courteous when they're driving through [13:21] with the closure of those on and off [13:23] ramps coming in the next Well, one's [13:26] Monday and then the next is, you know, [13:29] two to four weeks out. Uh I traffic's [13:32] going to get worse and then school's [13:34] going to start and it's going to get [13:35] worse again. So we just all need to work [13:37] together on the traffic situation on [13:41] Eden Avenue. [13:44] Uh another question, when they work on [13:47] the west side of the rail bridge, where [13:50] will they have their work area? Yeah, [13:52] that's where they might use a portion of [13:54] that interlock and Vernon intersection [13:58] and that portion of Gus Young that's [14:00] been closed. So, they might set up some [14:02] cranes there and have some work areas in [14:05] there. They do have a a road, a [14:07] temporary service road coming from the [14:10] east side that they can go and cross the [14:12] rail down low and then go back out. So, [14:14] they have a couple ways to enter and [14:17] exit down by the rail with equipment. [14:20] They got permission to cross the rail [14:23] north of, you know, closer to Holiday. [14:26] And then I think they also got [14:27] permission to come from the south [14:29] underneath the Gus Young Bridge. So, [14:31] there's some ways they can get in there [14:33] and stage equipment. [14:36] Uh Darren had a question. Is there a [14:38] covered pathway trail with trees looking [14:40] towards the north heading to that bridge [14:43] between Holiday and the railroad? Will [14:45] that trail still be accessible once the [14:47] new bridge over the rail? That trail is [14:49] a is a I call it a bandit path, a cow [14:52] path. It's not a legal trail. People [14:56] have just created that trail illegally [14:58] on railroad property. I wanted to make [15:00] that an actual city trail and sidewalk. [15:03] The railroad would not give easements or [15:06] permission to do that. So whether or not [15:08] that little pathway continues [15:11] is up to the railroad if they want to [15:13] put up fences and keep people out or [15:15] whether the people just establish a new [15:17] cow path through there. So that is not a [15:20] fully accessible, not a formal trail at [15:23] all. [15:26] Uh Barb had comments about the traffic [15:28] on even Eden Avenue. Traffic's gotten [15:30] worse, not better. There about 200 [15:33] families that have no other option but [15:35] to get in and out of the neighborhood [15:36] via Eden. What is the trigger you are [15:40] looking for as you monitor traffic to [15:43] get something done to create more [15:44] controls? [15:46] Uh we continue to see if people can [15:48] reasonably get back and forth along that [15:50] east and west corridor. Uh I'm out there [15:53] every other day or so watching and [15:55] seeing where the backups are and we look [15:58] for opt options. our options are [16:00] limited. Um, is there other things we [16:02] can do? That's what we'll have to [16:04] consider. When the ramps are closed, I [16:07] think a big portion of traffic that [16:10] currently uses the off-ramp behind [16:12] Hillside, when that closes, it's going [16:14] to change operations again. Is that [16:15] going to make it any better or worse? We [16:17] won't know until it happens. [16:20] So, we understand there's a lot of [16:22] challenges. We need Eden to support as [16:25] much traffic as we can because there's [16:26] just not other options in the area. [16:29] Eventually, we can start to open up when [16:32] these ramps get built. Some of those can [16:34] open back up, but we're just starting to [16:35] close them. So, we got a lot of work to [16:37] do before any of those could be [16:38] reopened. [16:40] Uh Darren, just curious, when [16:44] were both the old bridges built? Um, I [16:48] know the high 100 bridge was a 1973. [16:53] Vernon, I think, was the 50s, but don't [16:57] quote me on that. We can get [17:00] I can officially get that one, but that [17:01] one was much older um much older and [17:05] needed to be replaced uh as part of the [17:08] project. [17:10] Um is there a visual of what the top of [17:14] the concrete wall will look like? What [17:16] color and material? [17:18] Uh Cheryl asked that question. [17:22] The wall itself will look a lot like the [17:24] old wall. It'll just be on top of a [17:25] retaining wall. So what you see along [17:28] typical mindot walls, we don't have some [17:30] rendering showing that um because it's [17:33] going to be matching what's there that's [17:35] still in place to the east and north [17:38] where the removals ended. [17:42] Uh Darren, so you're saying that the [17:43] Excel power line they would have to dig [17:46] underneath Gus Young Bridge and do more [17:49] tree clearing. No, no more tree [17:51] clearing. I just mentioned that [17:52] contractors can drive I think and I'm [17:55] not this is between them and the [17:57] railroad but I believe they have access [18:00] from almost the old public works site [18:03] along the tracks there just to access [18:06] some of that area. So at this point [18:09] um don't anticipate more clearing under [18:12] there that was all done earlier as part [18:14] of the project. The real work is where [18:16] that picture is that I've been showing [18:18] you of that power line hit. You need to [18:20] be bury steel conduit in that area. Put [18:23] the new lines in. Go to a power pole [18:26] that's over by holiday and reestablish [18:28] that electrical service. [18:30] And that's happening when we're in the [18:33] middle of a summer. Hot days are the [18:35] highest demand for power. So, we don't [18:37] want that redundant power line to be out [18:40] of commission for very long. And we're [18:43] working with Excel on when that work can [18:45] be done. As soon as the railroad [18:48] approves that permit that was submitted [18:50] by Excel. [18:54] Great questions. Great questions. [19:02] Other question. Will Devanis have enough [19:04] room to reopen their patio after? [19:08] Yeah. Yep. They will be reopening that [19:11] patio after the bridge is done. That is [19:14] correct. [19:23] Other questions? [19:25] If not here, send me an email, give me a [19:29] call. Name and numbers on the better [19:30] together.org [19:33] website. [19:35] Please be patient on Monday when we [19:37] close another ramp. It's going to be [19:39] challenging in that area. [19:42] Um, [19:44] but we'll get through it. [19:47] Any other questions? [19:53] Not seeing any and not seeing any [19:55] typing. Thanks everybody. We'll post the [19:58] video, post the PowerPoint slides, and [20:01] if you got questions, reach out to me. [20:03] Thank you.