The tricky part: County J is the border between Anoka and Ramsey Counties and the cities of Lino Lakes and Shoreview.
“It’s been a great project where all the agencies have come together and are willing to work together on this project,” said Anoka County Engineer Joe McPherson.
Also in the mix, in addition to the hundreds of people who will soon call Lyngblomsten home, are the two gas stations on the southern corners of the intersection, along with several nearby neighborhoods.
According to McPherson, the two leading designs for the new intersection include an enhanced traffic signal with extra turn lanes–or a roundabout.
“There’s an existing signal system there today,” he said. “With this added load (of traffic) with the added development in and of the area, that adds additional pressure to the intersection.”
Anoka County has built several roundabouts in Lino Lakes in recent years, including at Sunset Avenue and along Birch Street flanking Rice Lake Elementary School.
“As long as they’re designed correctly, and they’re used in the right situation, they can be a great tool,” McPherson said. “They’re not always the right answer for every situation, but, in many cases, they’ll work just as good as signalized intersections or an all-way stop, and the safety benefits that come with roundabouts can’t be ignored.”
Anoka and Ramsey Counties, along with city staff from Lino Lakes and Shoreview will all be available to answer questions about the proposals at a public open house on Thursday, March 1 at Shoreview Community Center from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
McPherson said there is also an online option for people to weigh in. It’ll be available here between February 24 and March 14.
“We truly value that input,” he said. “We’re not out there day-to-day, so a lot of times it’s those little intricacies that deal with a personal situation” that planners can learn about from the public input.
