City Council Minutes 2014 11 18 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes November 18, 2014 Page 5 of 16 Council member Keany inquired how much the bridge's smaller opening contributed to the spread and whether there would still be a spread with a larger opening. Mr. Nemovitz explained the spread helped a little. He noted they will try to open up the channel. Public Works Director Kowar noted the railroad is the controlling factor as it backs up everything. Even if water is getting through at the County Road /95th Street Bridge opening, it will still pool and back up at the railroad. Mr. Nemovitz reviewed the options for the proposed bridge replacement through a series of slides. The proposed bridge design requires a 70 foot wide opening. This opening, driven by calculations to handle 100 -year floodway flows, will also be wide enough to accommodate a future pedestrian path. The proposed bridge design will provide at a minimum two 11 foot vehicle travel lanes and a 4 -foot shoulder on either side. The bridge design could also accommodate wider 8 -foot shoulders. In considering the shoulder width, the team discussed safety for traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists. The team decided a 4 -foot shoulder would be a better fit for the site. The decision points for the City Council are the Bridge /Roadway Shoulder Widths of 4 -feet (recommended) or 8 -feet. COUNCIL COMMENTS Council member Loo addressed the 8 -foot shoulders and noted the rest of the road does not have 8 -foot shoulders. She asked if the 8 -foot shoulders would only be for the length of the bridge. Public Works Director Kowar stated the 8 -foot shoulders would anticipate carrying to Bella Vista, but not south to 96th Street. Council member Loo did not recall any long -term plans to widen the roadway. Public Works Director Kowar stated it would be a large project to widen the roadway to 96th Street and is not in any long -range plans. Council member Loo stated she was not a bicyclist, but inquired whether there is a benefit to having a larger bike lane. Mr. Nemovitz clarified the 8 -foot shoulder would be for the full length of the bridge, but does not include Bella Vista to 96th Street. He felt there was a safety benefit. He explained the vision was not for a trail or recreational pathway, but for a safe roadway. Council member Loo asked if there was an emergency, could a car pull over on the 8- foot shoulder. Mr. Nemovitz confirmed a 4 -foot or 8 -foot shoulder could be used in case of emergency. He clarified for the length of the bridge project there will be a guard rail on both sides of the road. Council member Loo inquired whether there are a lot of people who pull over in that stretch of the road. Public Works Director Kowar did not believe the shoulders are used very often for emergency purposes.