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Canosia
Township |
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8th
District Representative James L. Oberstar requested Townships submit
highway and transit proposals for consideration by the Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee. Congress is ready to reauthorize the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Midway Rd was
submitted: The Midway
Road Project will add 2.0 miles of bike/pedestrian trails adjacent to the
Midway Road (County Road #530) in Canosia Township from the North Pike
Lake Road (County State Aid Highway 9) to Kehtel Road. Six-foot bituminous
shoulders and 1-1/2 foot gravel shoulders on the east and west sides of
C.R. #530 abutting the existing roadway surface will be added. This
project will extend the bike trail system to safely connect the residents
in this part of the township to recreational & public facilities and the
other existing bike trails The
residents on the east half of Caribou Lake and the surrounding area, which
are in Canosia and Grand Lake Townships, depend on the Midway Road as the
only access to their homes. This same road also serves as the only access
to three major gravel pits, which results in a significant amount of truck
traffic on the road. These gravel pits contain a 50-100 year supply of
gravel for the County and local contractors. Major amounts of gravel will
be hauled down the Midway Road for the foreseeable future. When gravel
trucks are hauling from these pits it is not uncommon for the trucks to
only be minutes apart on the road. The existing section to Midway Road has
narrow to nonexistent shoulders which inhibit the safe passage of vehicles
and pedestrians or bikes at the same time. The project will provide a
safe and appealing zone for pedestrians and bikers. The project will
connect the Caribou Lake area residents with the recreational area, the
Pike Lake Elementary School, the swimming beach, the town hall and the
existing bike system. An existing 10-mile trail system runs along the
Martin Road, the LaVaque Road and the portion of the Midway Road leading
into the business district. The Canosia
Township Recreational Area and Pike Lake are utilized annually for a
Triathlon. This event attracts about 400 entrants from all parts of the
State and has been very fun, exciting and successful. Portions of the
existing bike trail system are used as the route for the biking and
running events. The improvement will add a pedestrian/bike path along this
section of road and will provide area residents a much-needed opportunity
to use the road for recreational and alternative transportation purposes. The need
for this project was identified in the Canosia Township Comprehensive Land
Use Plan (update 2002). The Arrowhead Regional Development Commission
prepared this plan in cooperation with the Canosia Township Comprehensive
Plan Working Group, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Town
Board. It was adopted in December 2002 and the Township was committed to
“pursue efforts to minimize and control” the impact of growing truck
traffic and congestion on this section of the Midway Road to insure
“pedestrian safety”. At the six
public hearings conducted in the past six years, to permit the use of the
gravel pits in this area, residents expressed their concerns that
pedestrians and bikers could not safely use this section of roadway.
Because of this overwhelming public desire to find a solution to this
problem, the Canosia Planning and Zoning Commission has been working with
St. Louis County for over 5 years to find a way to make this project a
reality. The public feedback on providing a safe zone for bike and
pedestrian traffic along this section has been very positive and
supportive. The recent
edition of the Town of Canosia Newsletter, which is mailed to all the
residents of Canosia Township and some of the Grand Lake residents,
reviewed the proposed Bike Trail project and notified everyone of a
preliminary project meeting held on December 21, 1999. This public
meeting reviewed the feasibility and funding of the project and provided
another excellent opportunity for public input and feedback. The bike
trail system in Canosia Township consists of a number of County State Aid
Highways which have shoulders wide enough to provide areas for pedestrians
and bicycles. There are approximately 10 miles of shoulders that lie
along the LaVaque, Martin, and Midway Roads. This 2 mile addition to the
bikeway system will provide a means for many area residents to access the
recreational facilities and business district by walking or biking. |
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