ANOKA, Minn. – (March 26, 2015) – The Anoka County Board has made it clear that they want the long talked about Highway 10 reconstruction project to start moving forward. What was once outlined as a $300 million project is now expected to cost less than half of that amount. The project would eliminate the traffic lights in Anoka and Ramsey and the first phase of the project is already underway.
“Armstrong was first. The next project in line would be Fairoak and Thurston in the City of Anoka. We are currently pursuing bonding through the state for that portion of the highway projects. We are also pursuing planning dollars. We want to plan the entire corridor, make it as they say ‘shovel ready’,” said Anoka County Commissioner Matt Look.
The funding allotted for the Armstrong project is separate from the remaining project scope. Commissioner Look revealed that the county has come up with a unique funding proposal that has MnDOT intrigued.
“Everyone’s asking for dollars. Transportation’s a huge issue. We’re trying to differentiate ourselves by saying Anoka County will create a scenario where MnDOT has already met their trunk highway bonding ceiling, debt ceiling. We’ll bond for you so you have additional bonding capacity as long as they pay us in return for all the costs associated with that to get these projects moving to save that construction inflation. No one else has come to the table yet with that proposal,” said Look.
There are nine different funding sources for the Armstrong project and Look hopes to get many of the same partners on board for the rest of the intersections. Even though the county is trying to move this project forward it will still require years of planning.
“Even today, if we had dollars in the door today, it’ll take three years before we can move a spoonful of dirt, Armstrong project aside. That one is already underway. So the planning to environmental work, the preliminary design, the final design, all that takes time to get you to a point here you can go our for bid and start moving dirt,” said Look.
Construction on the already funded interchange project at Armstrong Boulevard will be completed by the Fall of 2016. Anoka County expects to have a better idea on future project dates after the completion of the 2015 Minnesota legislative session.
