Connecting and Protecting Vulnerable Populations in the City of Annandale
Two opposing demographics, elementary school children and the elderly, span the gamut of an entire age range. However, as vastly apart in age as they are, these two demographics couldn’t be more similar. Both groups receive discounts at restaurants and movie theaters (score!), always say exactly what’s on their mind, have people worry about them when they fall, and need to be cared for by others. Any caretakers of either of these groups have one goal in common – to keep them safe.
In the City of Annandale, elementary school children and the elderly both needed improvements to the surrounding corridor, Trunk Highway (TH) 24 and Hemlock Intersection, to improve safety in their community and provide better access for two of the most vulnerable populations.
Since opening to the public in 2013, Annandale Elementary School’s morning drop-off and afternoon pick-ups created frustrations for the district, parents, and surrounding residents. Safety concerns were brought up, but unfortunately, the city and school district did not have the funding to act on those concerns at the time.
Years later, the Annandale Care Center, a senior living community adjacent to Annandale Elementary School, desired an expanded second campus for their care center, which would create 40 jobs and provide homes for 42 elderly residents. Once the plan for the project was in motion, and with the knowledge of the ongoing dissatisfaction with the elementary school’s morning and afternoon traffic routines, involving Annandale Elementary School into the project was ultimately a no brainer — it was time to address the corridor deficiencies along TH 24, a three-lane undivided highway with limited pedestrian facilities.
The Million-Dollar Question – Funding for the City of Annandale:
Once a project solution is identified, the million-dollar question (literally) becomes where will the funding come from? Bolton & Menk navigated and identified funding solutions, seeking both state and federal funding opportunities to get the best project for the least amount out-of-pocket.
Every time the project was advertised for bids, there was new funding potential. With patience and by trusting the process, of the total $2.8 million construction cost, Bolton & Menk secured $2.4 million in state and federal funds for the City of Annadale. The remaining cost was distributed among the city, Annandale Care Center, the school district, and the township.
Constructing TH 24 in Only Eight Weeks
The city sought to solve these two requests simultaneously; however, the project had to be constructed under a tight timeline of only eight weeks to be ready for the upcoming school year. Since the deadline was crucial to meet, it was surprisingly easy to get all the stakeholders on board, including the school district, MnDOT, Wright County, Corinna Township, City of Annandale, the Annandale Care Center, and Landwehr Construction.
Project designs were conceptualized three years prior but had to be approved by MnDOT. To identify the most efficient solution to upgrade the corridor, an Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) Report, created by Bolton & Menk and required by MnDOT, included a roundabout at TH 24 and improvements to Hemlock Street, with medians restricting northbound traffic movements at the elementary school and creating a protected left-bound turn lane into the elementary school for southbound traffic.
Even though MnDOT had a full workload already, which is typically planned out five years in advance, they were eager to review the project design since it was locally led. MnDOT helped keep the project moving forward with the least number of interruptions by approving the closure of TH 24 with a detour for the full eight weeks. At first, the community was skeptical of the proposed roundabout as it would be the first in the community; however, they have since expressed how pleased they are with the function of the roundabout and elementary school intersection.
Designing the Roundabout for the City of Annandale
The visual elements of the roundabout acted as a gateway for the community. A gateway, in landscape architecture terms, is a visitors’ first point of contact with that location, which portrays specific characteristics that make an area recognizable.
In 2020, Bolton & Menk completed Annandale’s downtown streetscape project as part of a MnDOT reconstruction project on the south side of TH 24. These streetscape elements included colored concrete and boulevard plantings, which were also used in the City of Annandale’s new roundabout, providing identifying characteristics that matched the previous streetscape design.
Hemlock Street, leading into the roundabout, was reconditioned through the full-depth reclamation (FDR) process, helping the high school morning and afternoon travel go more smoothly. This improved road leads to Annandale High School and the Recreational Park, improving routes for more than just students and helping to provide access to the care center employees.
Stakeholder Collaboration in the City of Annandale:
With a wide range of project partners, many entities came together to create an ultimate solution to a long-standing problem. This project created an opportunity to solve a safety issue, while expanding a business to provide more jobs, improving the overall morale of the community in the process.
Jared Voge of Bolton & Menk served as city engineer for the project, helping facilitate many conversations between the various stakeholders. After the Annandale Care Center came up with a site plan, Jared had conversations with and involved city staff, MnDOT, and Bolton & Menk traffic engineers to execute the ICE Report and move the project forward. He acted as a project management facilitator by informing all parties internally and externally of the project activities.
As a project partner, the school district was able to communicate with parents easily, making sure school access was maintained for summer events throughout construction. For everyday users of the corridor, such as motorists and pedestrians, spreading awareness of the project was a top priority. To keep community members informed, an open house was held for residents to understand the detour and resulting changes impacting their daily routine, in some cases, turning a one-mile commute into seven. The public also had direct access to project updates from project partner websites and social media.
Future Impacts to the City of Annandale:
The safety improvements from this project will last for generations to come. Parents, students, and teachers no longer stress about traffic congestion and have greater peace of mind knowing their children can safely walk to Annandale Elementary School. Residents, family members, and employees of the Annadale Care Center can visit their loved ones more easily and safely, improving the quality of life for all community members. While traffic volumes may change overtime, the project has been set up to withstand the test of time.
Many hands and collaborative conversations worked together to turn this project into a reality. Jared Voge explained that “by having open conversations with leaders, such as city council members, school board members, and business leaders, and having a willingness to collaborate on and evaluate solutions, you’d be surprised at what you can accomplish. Be collaborative, rather than combative.”
The City of Annandale’s TH 24 and Hemlock Street improvement project became a shining example of what can happen through great conversations, partnerships, and most importantly, having a commitment to improve the lives of their citizens.
“I enjoy working with our staff and meeting with our clients to make their projects a reality,” says Jared Voge, who started at Bolton & Menk as an intern in 2001. Jared is the principal work group leader of St. Cloud operations. He manages projects that require extensive coordination efforts, successfully meets aggressive project schedule requirements, and manages project-related public relations and community involvement efforts.
