Traffic and growth issues at the Mississippi River crossing on Hwy. 25 have been  affecting the entire region for years.

In 2016, the Hwy. 25 Coalition was formed to begin to address how to solve those issues. The coalition was a joint effort with representatives from the City of Monticello, City of Big Lake, City of Becker, Big Lake Twp., Becker Twp., Sherburne Co. and Wright Co.

Originally, the main goal was to determine where an additional river crossing should be located to alleviate traffic congestion. The group hired a firm to do a traffic study, then held open houses in different jurisdictions to get public input and present various options.

In early 2019, extensive discussion of a river crossing revealed that transportation factors alone couldn’t drive a bridge location. It also involves land use, economic development, environment and recreation and infrastructure. And the immediate area near the crossing is just a small part of the potential impact of a new crossing.

With guidance from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and MnDOT) the group committed to creating a shared regional vision and goals and then determining what’s necessary to accomplish them. 

That led to plans to explore a broader range of issues in more depth. In July, the group formally changed its name to the Central Mississippi River Regional Planning Partnership, a name more appropriate for a regional planning group.

Tuesday at a workshop with the Sherburne County Board, Public Works Director Andrew Witter, Assistant Administrator Dan Weber and Marc Schneider from Planning and Zoning gave an update about the group’s activities.

Weber said the Coalition originally determined a river crossing was needed. “We had five options for a crossing, however there wasn’t consensus on where it should go,” he said. “It became clear that further discussion was needed.”

That’s when the group determined it was a regional issue. 

“We started taking a look at some of the data that was coming out of the transportation study and some of the other factors that also affect a river crossing,” said Witter. “It’s more of a regional land use plan across borders, instead of just taking a look at Sherburne Co. and Wright Co.”

Schneider said they had to consider a number of factors.

“Initially, it was thought that it would be an economic study. But it’s a regional land use plan,” he said. “Economics are a part of it, but you have to have a general vision of where the region is going.”

He said the Partnership refined its focus. The original focus area has been expanded to include other townships, and now stretches to the county’s east and west borders.

He said part of the regional plan should include any studies done in the expanded area as well as other land use plans.

Schneider said the Partnership issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in early August for a consultant to help develop regional planning framework for the project.

Tuesday was the closing date  for submittals for those RFPs. He said they would be reviewed later in the day, with the goal to launch the plan in October. The collaborative project will run through early 2021.