urbanMSP

It seems that some work is finally happening on the superstructure of the Lafayette Freeway Bridge carrying U.S. 52 over the Mississippi River in Saint Paul. The piers have been in place for a while, and it now looks like some of the box girder on the north end has started to be assembled. However, I'm not exactly sure what is going on -- I thought this would be a concrete bridge like the I-35W bridge, but the pieces currently in place seem to be metal. I only got a brief look at it yesterday evening, though.

The ramp connecting northbound U.S. 52 to westbound I-94 has been closed and ripped up, along with the ramp from East 7th Street to I-94, which merged into the US-52->I-94 ramp. Currently the official detour is to take East 7th up to Mounds Boulevard and get on the highway from there.

Anyway, here's the website:

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/lafayettebridge/

Based on the maps, it appears that they're planning to build a new Kitson Street that would extend from Warner Road at the River up to Lafayette or Phalen.

**creating a topic of larger scope since I couldn't find one**

Looks like the City of Pine Island is dumping $2.1 million into a new frontage road to connect to their Interchange to Nowhere...
http://finance-commerce.com/2012/11/mor ... terchange/

Since they're all but giving up on the illusion of a biobusiness park in the middle of nowhere, they're building it for potential "hotels, restaurants, retail and perhaps even industry" since I'm sure they currently don't have services anywhere else in town that could support those land uses.

Finally, there's this shocker:

Pine Island would owe the state up to $3.65 million if 182 biobusiness jobs aren’t created at Elk Run by the end of 2019. Last year, Tower informed Pine Island’s mayor in a letter that the city can keep 50 to 60 acres next to the interchange until there are 20 biobusiness jobs at Elk Run.

What Interchange is this talking about? The Country Rd 11 on the south east side of town has been there for a looong time, and I don't see another interchange on Google Maps.

It was here:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=101

they should make the stretch from inver to cannon falls a full freeway. that is a dangerous road!

Just think how many dangerous intersections could have been fixed for the same cost as providing this interchange to nowhere!

they should make the stretch from inver to cannon falls a full freeway. that is a dangerous road!

I thought they were doing away with those interchanges along Hwy. 52. In fact, I thought there was even mention of making Hwy. 52 a full-fledged interstate spoke that connects I-90 to the Twin Cities, but I believe it's only in concept phase if at all.

Removal of the two stoplights in Cannon Falls will begin next year:
http://www.cannonfalls.com/main.asp?Sec ... leID=19776

Sweet, now I can get to my mom's house 2 minutes faster! And direct access to the strip club when going north, no need to cross 52.

The new ramp from northbound U.S. 52 and ducking under I-94 to go westbound has opened, though part of the start of it is temporary at least until the new northbound bridge is done.

Drove past the booming city of Elk Run earlier this morning... the interchange seems to be taking forever. Anyways I was unable to snap photos due to a time crunch, but I thought it was interesting they have installed freeway-style overhead masts on the two approaches bridge over 52. Looking into this further, I had failed to realize this is actually going to be a DDI. Not only are we wasting an interchange in a location that was speculative and unneeded at the expense of other intersections on the corridor that are rather dangerous, but we're also overbuilding this interchange. So sad.

Thats sad. All you really need is a diamond interchange with a couple of stop signs, stop lights if you want to get really fancy... What a wa$te.

Drove past the booming city of Elk Run earlier this morning... the interchange seems to be taking forever. Anyways I was unable to snap photos due to a time crunch, but I thought it was interesting they have installed freeway-style overhead masts on the two approaches bridge over 52. Looking into this further, I had failed to realize this is actually going to be a DDI. Not only are we wasting an interchange in a location that was speculative and unneeded at the expense of other intersections on the corridor that are rather dangerous, but we're also overbuilding this interchange. So sad.

Maybe there will be a strip of 10 vinyl-laden cracker boxes built nearby soon that could bring the AADT up from 50 to 60 vehicles a day served by the interchange .

I found this on the Elk Run website (elkrun.info)

Pine Island’s approximate 3,200 residents enjoy the many benefits of nearby urban centers along with the advantages of a small community:
a better commute
lower cost of living
tight-knit, cooperative community spirit

...and most employees would probably be commuting from Rochester. At least sprawl on the edge of Rochester, since they widened and upgraded 52 already there.

As long as Rochester expands it's employment base Rochester will continue to sprawl. From Zumbrota and Pine Island myself growing up and a lot has changed in my 50 odd years. Zumbrota has nearly doubled in population since 1977.

It will continue to sprawl if we keep subsidizing sprawl. Rochester has a huge unique opportunity to become a small/midsize city with great urbanism. Lots of downtown jobs, lots of younger people, and lots of people who want to live in a place that feels like a place.

It will continue to sprawl if we keep subsidizing sprawl. Rochester has a huge unique opportunity to become a small/midsize city with great urbanism. Lots of downtown jobs, lots of younger people, and lots of people who want to live in a place that feels like a place.

Well....then it's a good thing it's going to boom during an era of "urban renaissance"! Much better than booming during the 70's, 80's or 90's, anyways!!

It will continue to sprawl if we keep subsidizing sprawl. Rochester has a huge unique opportunity to become a small/midsize city with great urbanism. Lots of downtown jobs, lots of younger people, and lots of people who want to live in a place that feels like a place.

Well....then it's a good thing it's going to boom during an era of "urban renaissance"! Much better than booming during the 70's, 80's or 90's, anyways!!

Except now we're 20-30 years further in to the mindset that people just live in a suburban home on a third of an acre and shop at Walmart. Even a large majority of younger people who want to live in a place that feels like a place say when they have kids they'll move out to the suburbs. Because that's just "what you do" - it's cleaner, safer, you get "more for your money," you have space (for your cars, etc). So many reasons.

I'm 31 and have one child and another on the way, and we don't want a half acre home with a white picket fence. We want a place that's safe and where there is SOME green space for kids to play, but we don't need very much. Currently (and we're not happy with our current living situation), our backyard is maybe 15'X40' -- MAYBE! Neither my wife or myself want to have to maintain a small field just so our kids don't have to walk to the park to play.....we just want some grass and sidewalks so we can walk to a nearby park.

I'm 31 and have one child and another on the way, and we don't want a half acre home with a white picket fence. We want a place that's safe and where there is SOME green space for kids to play, but we don't need very much. Currently (and we're not happy with our current living situation), our backyard is maybe 15'X40' -- MAYBE! Neither my wife or myself want to have to maintain a small field just so our kids don't have to walk to the park to play.....we just want some grass and sidewalks so we can walk to a nearby park.

I'm not in argument with you. I would best most on this forum would have your mindset. I'm saying we have a cultural ethos that people simply follow. My wife and I are going to be moving back in to the city next year (the soonest we can sell our place), but I feel as though we're in a relative minority of people our age who are planning for the long haul to be within 5 miles of the urban core of our city.