"Where Olmsted County News Comes First"
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Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Volume ∞ Issue ∞
- 5:36:49, May 15th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - Though I hated to see you reference Glenn Beck by name [Three Times ... [Read More]
- 11:42:07, May 10th 2013 - yenken - I feel very sorry for those who have commented do far, as when you stand fa ... [Read More]
- 12:10:25, Apr 26th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - Mr. "Cabtrom's" garbage-out[burst]--in response to Ms. Reisner's w ... [Read More]
- 9:51:50, Apr 24th 2013 - jeff pischke - To Jerry Grehl, the number to the fillmore county sheriffs office is 7 ... [Read More]
- 9:27:24, Apr 22nd 2013 - Cabtrom - Blah blah blah, garbage in garbage out! ... [Read More]
- 7:00:49, Apr 11th 2013 - Donald Pierce - Col. Stan Gudmundson hit most of the important nails squarly on the h ... [Read More]
- 12:44:54, Apr 4th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - My compliments to Ms. Hammer for giving us well-crafted "Rachel Rea ... [Read More]
- 5:09:06, Apr 3rd 2013 - truthiness - I see this is dated April 1. That explains it! ... [Read More]
- 12:04:33, Apr 3rd 2013 - Frank W. Hawthorne - Say WHAT?!? Stan's American-Pie [In SKY] is Falling--Not Again? ... [Read More]
- 12:40:21, Mar 29th 2013 - Jacob - It's a shame that so few people care about making their voices heard. If we ... [Read More]
29
How will you keep your kids busy this summer vacation?
Flood damage prompts detour proposal for Douglas State Trail
Wed, May 18th, 2011
Posted in Pine Island The Great Outdoors
Posted in Pine Island The Great Outdoors
Comments
PINE ISLAND, MN--- A Southeastern Minnesota city is about to get a detour.
It won’t have anything to do with road construction. It will have everything to do with plans for 2 new bridges on the Douglas State Trail.
Last September a rush of flood water washed away the ancient railroad trestle that used to cross the Zumbro River in downtown Pine Island.
Frequent users of the more than 12 mile trail are surprised to learn a second, but slightly newer rail bridge, just south of the first is about to disappear as well.
Experts say the former trestle suffered flood damage too and needs to be replaced as well.
“It’s going to delay my idea of riding my bike to get my groceries at the grocery store—it’s a longer route through town so I probably won’t do it as often as I thought I would,” said Pine Island and trail user Katie Lenn.
The bridge project also means that nearly a mile of the Douglas State Trail is about to become off-limits for a while.
“The busiest time the trail is used is during the summer time—and that was usually the direction that people would go through town, was down this direction,” said Lenn.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will spend the next several months constructing the new bridges and a portion of the money to do it will come from FEMA.
DNR Parks and Trails Division Area Supervisor Craig Blommer in Rochester said the smaller bridge at the beginning of the Douglas State Trail and next to the City Park will cost around $400,000 and have a 140-foot span.
The second bridge will cost around $550,000 and be around 200 feet long.
Blommer said both would be 12-feet wide, have a cement deck and steel rails.
They will also be placed high above the potential crest of future flooding.
“It is very important because we see the trail as a meaningful recreational link not just for Pine Island but for Rochester and some of the other towns,” said Pine Island City Administrator Abraham Algadi.
He and other city leaders also want to help the thousands of people who still want to park their cars in Pine Island’s City Park and use the trail this summer.
Algadi is proposing a detour that would take trail users from the park, through Main Street downtown, east on 5th, down to 7th, onto eighth street southeast and back to the trail.
“We’re working with local DNR folks to get the detour through Main Street to allow folks to access the businesses along Main Street,” said Algadi. No one will be forced to use the route, but Algadi is hopeful that the trail’s hikers and bikers will choose to do so.
“I think the safety coming through on the roads is going to be much more dangerous for everyone—kids included especially,” said Cindy Palm, who lives near the trail in Pine Island.
Algadi admits the detour isn’t perfect and that safety on the roadways is a concern, especially crossing a narrow, 2-lane bridge on 8th Street. The city’s flower planters along Main Street may have to be pulled back to the curb to give trail users more room. Around 35 signs created by the DNR will be posted by the city to mark the official detour.
“We need the trail—the trail has been excellent. There are many people who use the trail and it’s a good access into town from Rochester or the Douglas area. Many bikers use it, it’s unbelievable the traffic on the trail. We need to keep it for Pine Island, got to get it going back down to the park,” said regular trail user and Pine Island resident Donna Neilsen.
The proposed detour still needs final approval from county and state officials.
Algadi noted that the detour would be subject to certain controls like speed, parking and traffic control.
At the same time, the DNR is preparing to receive bids on the bridge work.
Algadi is hopeful the second bridge can be given away, rather than scrapped.
He noted that it would cost money to cut it up and remove it.
He is hopeful the nearby golf course might be able to use it or maybe someone else would be willing to take it away at their own expense.
If there aren’t any snags, the DNR estimates the job could be finished by sometime in August.
In the meantime, drivers and downtown businesses in Pine Island may notice a lot more visitors passing through this summer.
It won’t have anything to do with road construction. It will have everything to do with plans for 2 new bridges on the Douglas State Trail.
Last September a rush of flood water washed away the ancient railroad trestle that used to cross the Zumbro River in downtown Pine Island.
Frequent users of the more than 12 mile trail are surprised to learn a second, but slightly newer rail bridge, just south of the first is about to disappear as well.
Experts say the former trestle suffered flood damage too and needs to be replaced as well.
“It’s going to delay my idea of riding my bike to get my groceries at the grocery store—it’s a longer route through town so I probably won’t do it as often as I thought I would,” said Pine Island and trail user Katie Lenn.
The bridge project also means that nearly a mile of the Douglas State Trail is about to become off-limits for a while.
“The busiest time the trail is used is during the summer time—and that was usually the direction that people would go through town, was down this direction,” said Lenn.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will spend the next several months constructing the new bridges and a portion of the money to do it will come from FEMA.
DNR Parks and Trails Division Area Supervisor Craig Blommer in Rochester said the smaller bridge at the beginning of the Douglas State Trail and next to the City Park will cost around $400,000 and have a 140-foot span.
The second bridge will cost around $550,000 and be around 200 feet long.
Blommer said both would be 12-feet wide, have a cement deck and steel rails.
They will also be placed high above the potential crest of future flooding.
“It is very important because we see the trail as a meaningful recreational link not just for Pine Island but for Rochester and some of the other towns,” said Pine Island City Administrator Abraham Algadi.
He and other city leaders also want to help the thousands of people who still want to park their cars in Pine Island’s City Park and use the trail this summer.
Algadi is proposing a detour that would take trail users from the park, through Main Street downtown, east on 5th, down to 7th, onto eighth street southeast and back to the trail.
“We’re working with local DNR folks to get the detour through Main Street to allow folks to access the businesses along Main Street,” said Algadi. No one will be forced to use the route, but Algadi is hopeful that the trail’s hikers and bikers will choose to do so.
“I think the safety coming through on the roads is going to be much more dangerous for everyone—kids included especially,” said Cindy Palm, who lives near the trail in Pine Island.
Algadi admits the detour isn’t perfect and that safety on the roadways is a concern, especially crossing a narrow, 2-lane bridge on 8th Street. The city’s flower planters along Main Street may have to be pulled back to the curb to give trail users more room. Around 35 signs created by the DNR will be posted by the city to mark the official detour.
“We need the trail—the trail has been excellent. There are many people who use the trail and it’s a good access into town from Rochester or the Douglas area. Many bikers use it, it’s unbelievable the traffic on the trail. We need to keep it for Pine Island, got to get it going back down to the park,” said regular trail user and Pine Island resident Donna Neilsen.
The proposed detour still needs final approval from county and state officials.
Algadi noted that the detour would be subject to certain controls like speed, parking and traffic control.
At the same time, the DNR is preparing to receive bids on the bridge work.
Algadi is hopeful the second bridge can be given away, rather than scrapped.
He noted that it would cost money to cut it up and remove it.
He is hopeful the nearby golf course might be able to use it or maybe someone else would be willing to take it away at their own expense.
If there aren’t any snags, the DNR estimates the job could be finished by sometime in August.
In the meantime, drivers and downtown businesses in Pine Island may notice a lot more visitors passing through this summer.
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