by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Authorization for a road study by the yet-to-be-built Sartell High School was approved unanimously by the Sartell City Council at its Sept. 12 meeting.
The new high school, approved by voters last August, will be constructed near the Oak Ridge Elementary School west of Pinecone Road N. between 27th and 35th streets.
The high school building will accommodate up to 1,350 students and 150 staff members. Parking will be adequate for about 800 vehicles. The school will also include an 800-seat performing arts center, a gymnasium big enough for up to 2,000 people and a swimming pool.
With all of the anticipated busy uses, it’s not surprising the city council and other Sartell residents have been concerned about the road configurations near the two schools.
What the WSB & Associates Inc. study will examine are the effects of traffic and parking on area traffic operations; site-traffic circulation; and pedestrian safety and pedestrian circulation.
The study is expected to recommend egress and ingress of traffic at the new school site, including road improvements or changes to facilitate busy traffic patterns, especially at the start and end of the school day. The study will also take into careful consideration school-bus traffic at the two school sites.
The study will take into account a myriad of factors: traffic counts, traffic patterns, busy activity times at the schools, key intersections, signage, pedestrian and bicyclist safe accesses to the schools, width of roads, turn lanes and much more.
The comprehensive study will cost about $11,000. The report will be presented Nov. 4 of this year.