Initial preliminary design options for the planned 2020 Bridge Avenue reconstruction project were available for the public Tuesday during an open house at Albert Lea City Hall.

Freeborn County and the city are proposing to reconstruct Bridge Avenue between Marshall Street and Hammer Road. The project is also expected to include improvements to the utility system and sidewalks along the corridor.

After construction is complete, the Bridge Avenue corridor will be a three-lane road with dedicated turn lanes at major intersections.

Freeborn County Public Works Director Sue Miller said a roundabout is possible at the intersection of Bridge Avenue and Richway Drive. She spoke of potential benefits of a roundabout, adding the benefits and drawbacks of the possibility need to be evaluated before a decision is made.

“It’s a much safer traffic application than a signal system would be,” she said. “If you have a crash at a roundabout, it’s going to be a slow speed, typically a rear end-type crash. If you have a crash at a signal system, it’s typically somebody blowing a red light at a high speed, and it’s going to be a right-angle crash, and many times those are life-changing crashes.”

Miller stressed that changes to all intersections of the corridor are possible.

“If we can eliminate those conflicting movements to the greatest extent possible — that’s where the crashes happen,” she said.

Representatives from Freeborn County, the city of Albert Lea and design consultant SRF were available to discuss initial preliminary design options and answer project questions. The event took place without a formal presentation and was meant to share information and encourage public comments.

Miller discussed possibly incorporating elements of downtown Albert Lea  — such as mimicking street poles — onto the Bridge Avenue corridor.

“If we can use Bridge Avenue being the north entrance to the city, kind of being that inviting trail to bring you into that community, to see the lakes, to see our downtown, what are the elements we need from, say, the downtown area, that helps tie and connect the community together,” she said. 

Miller said no homes are expected to be purchased or destroyed in association with construction.

“Everything that has been considered fits within the existing right-of-way that we already own and have,” she said.

The Bridge Avenue project is expected to be bid in early 2020, with construction taking place later that year.

Miller said the project cost is expected to be in the $6 million to $7 million range. Federal dollars are expected to cover $4 million to $4.5 million.

Marshall Street resident Connie Heavner said she was pleased the city is not planning to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Bridge Avenue and Marshall Street, adding she is glad her home will not be torn down in association with development. She expressed concern about a planned bike path she said goes up to her house.

Albert Lea City Engineer Steven Jahnke said they are evaluating placing an 8- or 10-foot wide bike path on the east side of Bridge Avenue.

Jahnke acknowledged the effects construction will have on traffic. He said the project layout will seek to minimize disruptions to motorists.

Miller said they plan to engineer the project to conform with requests made by members of the Albert Lea City Council and Freeborn County Board of Commissioners.

“They wanted the corridor to feel very much like it does today, so that’s what we’re trying to do, is make sure the corridor doesn’t open up and create this wide, cavernous roadway system that divides the neighborhood,” Miller said.

Addie’s Floral owner John Rust said the project is “modest but adequate.”

“It’s become more necessary over the years,” he said. “It’s due to be done. I don’t think it can wait much longer.”

Miller said the Bridge Avenue corridor is important to the growth of Albert Lea.

“This is really one of our last pieces of rebuilding a corridor, because it is the north-south gateway into the city, the main linkage,” she said. “There’s no other thoroughfare conduit that links everything up, so it has a lot of importance to how our community grows and develops in the future.”

Realtor Robert Hoffman owns and manages 18 rental units at 1609 Bridge Ave. He said he is looking forward to the project because of the potential addition of sidewalks along the front of the building that could serve the apartments next door to his and Oak Park Place.

Hoffman said he is looking forward to improvements to sanitary sewer shared between his building, a 12-unit neighboring building and a few homes behind theirs.