Minnesota Administrative Rules

8820.4020 NATURAL PRESERVATION ROUTE PROPOSALS.

Subpart 1.

County board resolution.

The county board shall submit a formal request to the commissioner in the form of a resolution.

Subp. 2.

Required information.

The request must be accompanied by:

A.

an index map that identifies the proposed natural preservation route by county state-aid highway number and termini;

B.

a narrative describing the history of the route, any controversy surrounding it, the inplace cross section, the particular scenic, environmental, or historical characteristics considered desirable to preserve, and which designation category (type I, II, or III) of natural preservation route being requested;

C.

photographs of the route;

D.

a listing of parks, rivers, or other designated natural or historical resource areas that the highway corridor passes through or adjoins and that are considered desirable to preserve;

E.

a description of any safety hazards existing along the route and a discussion of the accident record over the past five years;

F.

a transportation plan that considers alternate routes, or traffic management plan for the area including compatibility with the existing roadway network, as well as the existing and projected ADT;

G.

a description of the function of the route including the functional classification, the type of traffic using the route, and a discussion of seasonal variations and trip purposes;

H.

a comparison of the current operating speed, the legal speed limit, and the rationale for the selection of the planned design speed;

I.

a preliminary description of the planned design if construction or reconstruction is proposed, including a discussion of:

(1)

what natural or historical elements might be affected by different construction alternatives;

(2)

which safety features might be affected by different construction alternatives; and

(3)

how any changes in the continuity of design will be mitigated;

J.

preliminary cost estimates of the various alternatives considered;

K.

environmental documentation that may have been completed, including public notices and public meetings that have occurred;

L.

a description of existing and projected land uses, any zoning in effect, and compatibility with the natural preservation route characteristics; and

M.

a description of any provisions to address bicycles, pedestrians, and equestrians.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 162.02; 162.021; 162.09

History:

18 SR 32

Published Electronically:

October 15, 2007