Shakopee City Seeks Funding To Accelerate Marystown Road Improvements

Press release from the City of Shakopee:

June 21, 2021

As the city’s West End continues to grow, the City of Shakopee is looking at ways to improve traffic safety and pedestrian access in the Marystown Road Corridor.

The city is seeking $7.4 million in state and federal transportation funding toward improvements throughout the corridor, which runs from Vierling Drive to 17th Avenue.

In 2020, the city partnered with Scott County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation to complete a corridor study that evaluated existing and future transportation conditions. Based on the study, the current traffic control is not expected to accommodate the area’s planned development by 2025.

In addition, safety concerns and accidents are on the rise in the high-speed corridor, which transitions from a rural 55-miles-per-hour roadway to an urban roadway over Highway 169. The interchange is especially dangerous for pedestrians who must use the road shoulder to cross the interchange bridge.

"It is imperative that we proactively address these transportation issues within the corridor to ensure the safety of both vehicles and pedestrians," said Steve Lillehaug, City Engineer/Public Works Director.

Based on existing and proposed traffic levels, the study evaluated each of the four intersections along the corridor to consider different control options. The recommended vision includes four roundabouts with pedestrian trails on each side of the roadway.

Roundabouts would provide enough space on the existing interchange bridge to reconfigure the road and add trails on both sides. While roundabouts are more expensive to construct, they eliminate the need for standalone pedestrian bridges, saving approximately $3 million per bridge.

The improvements would also eliminate a north-south trail gap between Tahpah Park and the new neighborhoods south of Highway 169.

As the city waits to secure funding assistance, the city, county and state continue to monitor and evaluate the corridor’s current traffic controls with the possibility of making interim adjustments.

If you have more questions about the Marystown Road Corridor improvements, contact Lillehaug at slillehaug@ShakopeeMN.gov.

This story appeared in the Summer 2021 Hometown Messenger.

This press release was produced by the City of Shakopee. The views expressed here are the author’s own.