Negotiating Snelling Ave North of County Road B can be a challenge, especially during the evening commute. But thanks to a recent decision by the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) relief is in sight.
Last week, TAB approved Roseville’s application for federal funds to add a third northbound lane to Snelling Ave between County Road B2 and Lydia Ave. The funding will pay for $2.7 million of the project’s projected $3.4 million cost.
Roseville Mayor Dan Roe said he was very pleased to learn that the Metropolitan Council had approved Roseville’s funding application and reiterated the importance of the project.
“While the addition of a northbound lane on Snelling Avenue in Roseville will benefit commuters that travel through our city, the associated relief of congestion and improvement of function at the County Road C and Snelling intersection will be of notable benefit to Roseville residents and businesses,” Roe said.
The Roseville City Council approved a request made by the City’s Public Works department in June of 2016 to apply for federal funds to expand Snelling Ave by one lane in the northbound direction north of County Road B2.
The request was made after analysis of several traffic studies in recent years indicated that the intersections of Snelling Ave at County Road C and Snelling Ave at Lydia Ave currently operate at a level of service (LOS) F during the peak of the evening commute.
The traffic study also indicated that congestion would continue to increase overtime due to redevelopment in the Twin Lakes area of Roseville as well as overall growth in regional traffic on Snelling Ave.
According to Roseville Public Works Director Marc Culver, the funds will be available for allocation in 2020 and 2021.
Roseville’s Snelling Avenue project was one of 58 projects approved for funding by the TAB. The various projects include local highway, bridge, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements in all seven counties of the metro region and total more than $413 million in investments.