by MaryAnne Block
At least 25 people attended the Nov. 2 meeting at the St. Joseph Government Center to hear more about the proposed roundabout on CR 133.
Construction is set to begin in June 2024. Besides the roundabout, the county will add an additional left-turn lane from Hwy. 75 north to reduce rush-hour congestion for commuters, businesses and Industrial Park traffic. Schematic drawings of the proposed project were displayed at the meeting.
The county has received numerous complaints about the CR 133 and Elm Street intersection during the last few years, according to Jeff Tougas, a right-of-way specialist for Stearns County. The county is proposing a roundabout at the intersection of CR 133 and Elm Street. On that corner are located Magnifi Financial, the Coborn’s grocery store and O’Reilly’s Auto Parts. Speed and visibility issues from northbound traffic can be hazardous for drivers.
The county plans to add a left-turn lane on eastbound CR 75 to handle more traffic heading north on CR 133. The space for the extra lane will come from the median. The county will widen some areas and driveways on CR 133 and create a roundabout at Elm Street. The work will begin in June 2024, which is about the time the Hwy. 75 bridge between St. Joseph and Waite Park will be finished. Initial projections anticipate completion of the roundabout construction to be mid-November 2024.
The roundabout is of special interest to Ruth Boos, who lives close to the intersection. Her daughter, Kendal, was home from her work at Princeton so that she, too, could attend the meeting.
St. Joseph resident Spencer Sawyer said at the meeting that he sees no real need for a roundabout.
“The intersection seems to work just fine the way it is,” he said. “Rush hours can get crazy, but the roundabout would mostly benefit those going to and from Sartell, Sauk Rapids and north St. Cloud.”
Sawyer said he often drives from his home in the south part of St. Joseph to visit his grandchildren, who live north of the proposed roundabout.
St. Joseph Public Works Director Ryan Wensmann said the city plans to extend Elm Street from the roundabout west to Northland Drive (by Dollar General). The city approved extending Elm Street at a 2017 planning session. The city’s plan is to extend Elm Street while the county is working on the roundabout. The extension will increase the likelihood of future development of the area north of Elm Street, once the street is finished. It is expected to enhance traffic flow and reduce some local traffic from using Hwy. 75 from CR 133 to Northland Drive.
Stonebrooke Engineering of Burnsville was selected by the county to help with planning, design, surveying and construction of the project. Kelly Bessen of Stonebrooke was on hand to field questions.
There is no definite cost at this point for the county or for the city. Several more steps must happen before actual costs are determined.
Residents may express comments and concerns by contacting Jodi Teich at the Stearns County Highway Department, P.O. Box 246, St Cloud, MN 56302; by telephone at 320-255-6180; or via email at highway@stearnscountymn.gov.
Ruth Boos and her daughter, Kendal, attended the meeting about a city-county project – the proposed roundabout on CR 133 in St. Joseph. Ruth lives very near that intersection so she is concerned about what the project will entail.
