Roundabouts on Hannah Avenue, Middle School Drive favored by Bemidji City Council
Nicole Ronchetti, The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
5 min read
Sep. 12—BEMIDJI — Drivers in Bemidji could see more roundabouts in the near future, as the
Bemidji City Council
shared its approval for plans regarding Hannah Avenue and Middle School Drive that included the addition of the traffic control measure.
During a work session on Monday night, the council was presented with plans for the roads tied to the future reconstruction of State Highway 197 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, for which the council also received an update.
While linked to the larger project, the reconstruction of Hannah Avenue and Middle School Drive would be city projects done one year ahead of the work on Highway 197.
City Engineer Sam Anderson presented the council with two alternatives for each road with a request for feedback from the council on which of each they would support.
Options for Hannah Avenue were Alternative 1, which included a compact roundabout at the entrance to Burger King and Simonson's, and Alternative 2, which included what Anderson described as a "turnabout" that resembles a partial roundabout.
"It's not quite a roundabout, almost like half a roundabout," Anderson explained. "They've done this in a few different areas (around the country)."
Both alternatives would seek to address traffic on the road and reduce vehicle stacking that results from a typical intersection with a signal.
Though two options were presented, Anderson said that city staff preferred Alternative 1 over Alternative 2.
"(The turnabout) just doesn't fit as well as we hoped it would fit," Anderson said, "Surprisingly the roundabout actually fits a little bit better."
When speaking with business owners in the area where the construction would take place, Anderson also shared that the overwhelming preference was for the roundabout.
"We've had a significant amount of stakeholder engagement, (and) they were very in favor of Alternative 1," Anderson said.
Members of the council also favored Alternative 1, with Ward 5 Councilor Lynn Eaton expressing concerns about the complexity of snow removal for Alternative 2 and Mayor Jorge Prince sharing worries that the turnabout would be too confusing for drivers.
Each of the councilors expressed their support for Alternative 1, which would install a compact roundabout before the discussion turned to the options presented for Middle School Drive.
Both alternatives for Middle School Drive include a roundabout near the access point for Target and Tires Plus, with the difference between the two regarding access to Culver's and Target Frontage Road.
Alternative 1, which Anderson shared was also preferred by city staff, creates 3/4 access at both locations which prevents left exits but allows right exits and left and right entrances to Culver's or Target Frontage Road.
Alternative 2 for Middle School Drive would install a median between north and southbound traffic, which would allow only right entrances and exits. Council members once again favored Alternative 1.
Anderson also explained that both the Hannah Avenue and Middle School Drive projects were tied to approval of MnDOT's reconstruction of Highway 197, with the funding coming from a grant linked to the larger project.
MnDOT expects to approach the council for municipal consent for its Highway 197 proposal next fall, and if granted the city would complete its Hannah Avenue and Middle School Drive projects in 2025. Highway 197 construction would then begin in 2026.
The second portion of the council's meeting included an update on plans for Highway 197 presented by Matt Upgren, a project manager with MnDOT.
Plans for Highway 197 have been under discussion for several years, with an initial proposal given to the city council in 2019 that included six roundabouts. This proposal ultimately
failed to gain municipal consent
and MnDOT returned to the drawing board to make adjustments.
A new proposal gained support from the council
in December 2021,
which included three roundabouts: at the Menards entrance, at Middle School Drive and at Hannah Avenue.
Since MnDOT's last update to the council
in January
, work has continued. Upgren shared that he has continued gathering feedback from area businesses, asking about any concerns and preferences that could be accommodated.
"Overall it has been very positive," Upgren said. "We've gotten a lot of feedback from the business community."
Members of the public have also been providing input, with comments gathered at
MnDOT's booth at the Beltrami County Fair this summer.
One of the most significant questions Upgren has been looking for feedback on has been the length of the construction, and whether it would be easier on the community to plan for it taking one summer or two.
While taking two construction seasons would accommodate more access to the construction area and the businesses within it, it would also prolong disruptions and impact two separate years.
"Just about everybody has wanted the shorter season," Upgren said. "Rip the Band-Aid off and get the pain over with."
Potential impacts on the businesses have been a focus of MnDOT, both during the construction period and after the project is completed.
"How are we going to keep (business') doors open during construction, but also in (the road's) future state?" Upgren posed.
Members of the council appreciated this focus on community impact and shared their gratitude for the work being done by the city's engineering staff and MnDOT.
"I know how much our city is growing and how we need to accommodate traffic," said Ward 1 Councilor Gwenia Fiskevold Gould. "It's really heartening to get these different updates."
Discussions on plans for Highway 197, alongside Hannah Avenue and Middle School Drive, are expected to come up in future council meetings as work continues.
