Project still working its way through layers of oversight

Residents will have to wait until spring of 2009 before they see work beginning on the widening of Pioneer Trail. The work was originally set to start this spring, then the start date was pushed to fall. Now, it appears the county won’t be able to seek out bids on the project until December of this year, with construction likely to start in 2009.

“It’s just not happening as fast as we want to see it happen,” said Chris Sagsveen, the senior project manager for Hennepin County.

With the Pioneer Trail, or County Road 1 reconstruction, much is out of the county’s hands at this point.

The federal environmental review process is taking longer than expected, noted Sagsveen.

A number of different factors complicate that process.

The Pioneer Trail expansion includes widening the road to four lanes from west of Shetland Road to east of Highway 212. The reconstruction impacts Staring Lake Park land and land attached to the Cummins-Phipps-Grill Homestead, a house that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Park mitigation issues slow down the process as does the review of the historic property, and the use of federal dollars. The State Historic Preservation Office, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Aviation Administration all have a hand in oversight of this project.

“It’s rare that you have as many things involved as we do on this project all at the same time,” said Sagsveen.

Meanwhile, work on Staring Lake Park goes on as planned, according to Stu Fox, parks and natural resources manager for the city of Eden Prairie. The city will continue with its plan to rebuild the walls for the amphitheater at Staring Lake, along with some minor electrical work. The summer concert series will move to Purgatory Creek Park this year. Fox noted that they’ve already postponed that work twice, so the city is going to go forward with its work.

“I’m not going to delay that project anymore,” he said.

Construction on the road must begin by next year, said Sagsveen.

The deadline to wrap up the plans is this September, “a critical date.”

Sagsveen explained that, when dealing with federal dollars, there’s a sunset date where they are required to have their plans finished. Last year, the county received an extension on that date. The extension is only good for a year, he said.

“It’s been interesting, but we’re going to get there,” he said. “We definitely have to by next spring.”