City in planning stages for Eureka Avenue and North Shore Trail rehab
Forest Lake will see two main road projects this construction season, as the county will tackle rehabbing Broadway Avenue through downtown Forest Lake, and a full reconstruction of Everton Avenue (County Road 33).
Construction on Everton Avenue has already begun, with crews beginning work on the south half of the project, which runs from 11th Avenue SW to Broadway Avenue, closing both lanes from 220th Street North, by the MnDOT rest area, to just south of 19th Street SW.
The biggest changes to the road will be adding a pedestrian and bicycle trail along the road, as well as a reconfiguration of the turn into the Menards lot near Broadway Avenue. The turn at Wendy’s will be closed off, and a new road will be constructed farther south, which will bend around to the two parking lots. It will also increase traffic flow by adding a third middle lane for left turns at critical junctures, and adding right turn lanes at 19th Street SW.
The detour will take drivers on the other side of I-35 to Highway 61.
Updates on the project can be found at co.washington.mn.us/EvertonAvenue.
Drivers will also see improved road conditions along downtown Forest Lake on Broadway Avenue between I-35 and Lake Street after this construction season, with new pavement and signage. That project is expected to take place later this summer.
2025 projects
After a successful campaign for state funding for the reconstruction of Eureka Avenue last year, the city is in a design phase of the project, which is planned for spring of 2025. The road’s condition is considered poor, filled with potholes and a sloped tire-tread area, and had once been briefly considered for closure due to the degrading condition of the road, which has also affected lake conditions due to the erosion of the road so close to the water’s edge. A pedestrian walkway is planned along the road, though the City Council is considering whether or not to shorten the walkway from 6 feet to 5 feet over a debate on whether or not to install a guardrail along the walkway.
Also on the 2025 project calendar is North Shore Trail, which would extend from Greenway Avenue to Highway 97. After considering budget impacts, the council is poised to move forward with a simple maintenance project of that entire stretch of the road, rather than a reconstruction effort from just 235th Street to Highway 97 that would add pedestrian facilities – a highly requested part of a reconstruction effort by area residents and other citizens. Council member Blake Roberts was the lone council member in favor of the latter option.
“I think maybe you could maybe sell that to the public, like ‘We’re looking at, we may not get there, but we’re looking at doing some trail amenities there,’” he said at the April 22 council meeting. “I think people would be OK with that or would want that.”
Council member Leif Erickson countered, saying, “I can sure appreciate council member Robert’s desire to make headway on a trail system around the lake,” but said he was concerned the portion of the road that would be left undone wouldn’t get repaired for a decade or more. Mayor Mara Bain was in agreement.
“I want us to make progress when we can make progress, and ... I would argue strongly in favor of the biggest footprint we can do. And if that’s Greenway to [Highway] 97, I think that’s a monumental win from where we’ve been over the last how many years. I mean, it’s barely a held together roadway in some sections right now,” Bain added.
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