i ii MIC Area Thoroughfare Plan March 2001 This study was funded through the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Committee with funding from the: Federal Highway Administration Minnesota Department of Transportation Wisconsin Department of Transportation Arrowhead Regional Development Commission Northwest Regional Planning Commission Copies of this plan are available from the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Committee 221 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 529-7541 Prepared by the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Committee Duluth-Superior urban area communities cooperating in planning and development through a joint venture of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission iii iv Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Committee Member and Staff Listing March 2001 Metropolitan Interstate Committee: NWRPC / MIC Staff: David Allen, City of Hermantown Sheldon Johnson, MIC Deputy Director Nick Baker, Douglas County Board Tom Brekke, St. Louis County Suburban Townships Transportation Advisory Committee: Russell Carlson, Douglas County Board John Allen, WisDOT Mike Conlan, City of Duluth Jim Benning, City of Duluth David Conley, Douglas County Board Jim Foldesi, St. Louis County Bill Eckman, Douglas County Board John Foschi, City of Proctor Earl Elde, St. Louis County Suburban Paul Halverson, Douglas County Townships Bryn Jacobson, Bike/Pedestrian Representative Edward Erickson, Superior City Council Dennis Jensen, Duluth Transit Authority Lynn Fena, Duluth City Council Dennis Johnson, MnDOT Tom Fennessey, Superior City Council Paul King, City of Superior Mark Johnson, City of Superior Jason Serck, City of Superior Richard A. Kieren, City of Proctor Ray Klosowski, Duluth Airport Authority Jean Longenecker, Villages of Oliver and Richard Larson, City of Duluth Superior and Douglas Co Suburban Townships Walter Leu, MnDOT Kevin Peterson, City of Superior Bill Majewski, City of Duluth Isobel Rapaich, Duluth Transit Authority Joel Peterson, MN Pollution Control Agency Rob Stenberg, Duluth City Council David Salo, City of Hermantown Peg Sweeney, St. Louis County Ray Skelton, Duluth Seaway Port Authority Vacant, City of Duluth Vacant, Rail Representative ARDC / MIC Staff: Vacant, Trucking Representative Ron Chicka, MIC Director Holly Butcher, Planner Duluth-Superior Joel Franklin, Intern Ben Gozola, Planner Metropolitan Interstate Committee Andrew McDonald, Senior Planner Rondi Watson, Division Secretary Kendis Willet, Planner “Guiding the Future of Transportation and Planning for the Twin Ports Area” v iv MIC Area Thoroughfare Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1 METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................2 2000 MIC FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION STUDY 2000 MIC TRUCK ROUTE STUDY CONCEPT OF FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION ..............................................4 ARTERIALS COLLECTORS LOCAL ROADWAYS NATIONAL HIGHWAY & TRUCK ROUTE SYSTEMS ......................................6 MIC AREA TOWNSHIPS THOROUGHFARE ANALYSIS ..................................9 MINNESOTA CITIES CITY OF HERMANTOWN .....................................................................11 CITY OF PROCTOR ....................................................................................19 TOWNSHIPS CANOSIA TOWNSHIP ..........................................................................25 DULUTH TOWNSHIP ...........................................................................31 GRAND LAKE TOWNSHIP....................................................................35 LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP ......................................................................39 MIDWAY TOWNSHIP ..........................................................................43 RICE LAKE TOWNSHIP .......................................................................49 SOLWAY TOWNSHIP...........................................................................55 v WISCONSIN TOWNSHIPS LAKESIDE TOWNSHIP ...............................................................................59 PARKLAND TOWNSHIP .......................................................................63 SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP .........................................................................67 VILLAGES VILLAGE OF OLIVER.................................................................................73 VILLAGE OF SUPERIOR.......................................................................77 APPENDICES...................................................................................................81 MINNESOTA MILEAGE WISCONSIN MILEAGE vi MIC Area Thoroughfare Plan LIST OF FIGURES, MAPS, AND TABLES The information on these maps is a compilation of data from various federal, state, county, regional, and municipal sources. Geographic information has limitations due to the scale, resolution, date and interpretation of the original source materials. Users should consult available data documentation (metadata) to determine limitations and the precision to which the data depicts distance, direction, location or other geographic characteristics. These maps and/or data are not legal survey documents to be used for describing land for the purpose of ownership or title. TABLE 1: DATA COLLECTED........................................................................2 FIGURE 1: CLASSIFICATION FUNCTIONALITY.............................................5 MAP 1: NHS/TRUCK ROUTES ......................................................................7 MAP 2: CITY OF HERMANTOWN ..................................................................13 MAP 3: CITY OF PROCTOR ...........................................................................21 MAP 4: CANOSIA TOWNSHIP........................................................................27 MAP 5: DULUTH TOWNSHIP.........................................................................33 MAP 6: GRAND LAKE TOWNSHIP ................................................................37 MAP 7: LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP ...................................................................41 MAP 8: MIDWAY TOWNSHIP ........................................................................45 MAP 9: RICE LAKE TOWNSHIP ....................................................................51 MAP 10: SOLWAY TOWNSHIP.......................................................................57 MAP 11: LAKESIDE TOWNSHIP ....................................................................61 MAP 12: PARKLAND TOWNSHIP...................................................................65 MAP 13: SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP ....................................................................69 MAP 14: VILLAGE OF OLIVER .....................................................................75 MAP 15: VILLAGE OF SUPERIOR..................................................................79 vii viii Introduction The MIC Area Thoroughfare Plan is the final component of an effort begun in 1997 to examine the thoroughfare network within the boundary of the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Planning Organization (See figure 1). The initial two phases in this project examined the roadways of Duluth and Superior respectively, and focused on determining the actual functions of each city’s roadways—free from guidelines dictating the total mileage of each classification allowed to exist in the system. Both plans utilized a unique classification system designed for future Figure 1: The MIC planning area includes planning efforts. the cities of Duluth, Superior, Hermantown, Proctor; and the twelve This plan differs from the first two surrounding villages and townships. installments, as it does not utilize the MIC’s unique functional classification Aside from this difference, the purpose system. Road usage within the urban of the MIC Area Thoroughfare Plan is area dictated the need for a greater range still to review the street and highway of classifications to truly represent real system to determine the actual functions world practice. Rural roads, however, of these roadways. This information has do not see the varied use that urban culminated in a tool useful for many roads receive. Therefore, the official planning endeavors including: setting classification systems utilized by the priorities on future road projects, respective DOT’s were sufficient to developing a maintenance schedule, and depict real world travel. helping to determining areas for future development opportunities. Another difference is new modeling was not done to determine where future Finally, area truck routes and future roadway capacity problems will be roadways planned for addition to the located. Analysis done in both the current system are also examined in this Duluth and Superior Thoroughfare plans document. Truck traffic is a paramount included the townships and showed a concern for many of the townships in few areas of possible congestion in regards to road condition and overall Minnesota, and none in Wisconsin. safety. New roadways could mean Those areas that might experience greater traffic in some areas and bring up congestion in the future are noted in the new concerns that should be planned for respective township. ahead of time. 1 MIC Area Thoroughfare Plan Methodology Little or no data was available on many of the smaller county, township, and Much of the data collected in the local roads. When necessary, fieldwork previous plans is not available for many was