09-07-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commission Minutes--September 7, 1999 2035 13. RESOLUTION #1999-15, Road restrictionlspeed limit on oortion of County Highway 6 Keith Berndt, County Engineer, reported that Cass County Highway 6 between Interstate 29 and Cass County Highway 17 has deteriorated at an increasing rate in recent months, and he included $500,000 in the 2000 budget for an overlay on the existing roadway. On August 24th, he advised immediate posting of the road with a Class 2 weight restriction and lower speed limits on truck traffic. His recommendation does not include the Interstate right-of-way or the portion of the road between the Interstate ramps and the Interstate frontage roads. There was strong public reaction, however, and he suspended the weight restrictions until the Board could discuss it. Several people were present today regarding this topic. Mr. Berndt held an informational meeting last week with residents and business owners along this portion of County Highway 6. Commissioners Koenig and Wieland were also present at that meeting. Four options were outlined by Mr. Berndt for discussion today, and he said his recommendation would be somewhat of a compromise in that he would suggest posting the road to a Class 1 restriction for the rest of this year but that the Board would authorize him to issue permits to allow trucks to haul to the businesses along this road who would have no other access to their properties. He said a Class 1 restriction would discourage non-local truck traffic that could use an alternate route. Ken Pawluk, resident of Fargo and property owner adjacent to County Highway 6, addressed the Board at this time. He said there are a number of issues to address, including posting and enforcing current weight restrictions on the bridge at County Highway 17 and enforcing the speed limit in this area. He believes there is a tremendous amount of through-traffic on this stretch of road and that proper enforcement of weight and speed limits would greatly reduce the damage to the roadway. Kenny Asplin, of Asplin Excavating, Inc., was also present and said a Class 2 weight restriction would be detrimental to his business. When he built the business at this location, he said he contacted the County Planner and County Highway Department and was told the gross vehicle weight on this road would be 80,000 pounds in the summer months but less in the spring, and he felt he could live with that. His business cannot survive, he said, with Class 2 restrictions on this road. He also had some concerns about how the Class 1 restrictions would be applied to each axle when hauling heavy equipment to his shop for repairs. The Board said the County Engineer would have some discretion about the Class 1 restrictions when issuing special permits. Mr. Koenig said he understands Mr. Asplin's concern about the Class 1 limitation, which is somewhat restrictive on a three-axle trailer. To help minimize the damage to this road, he agreed with enforcing the speed limit at 4.0 miles per hour for all vehicles, not just truck traffic. He said it is dangerous to have vehicles traveling at different speeds on the same highway. Mr. Wieland said he appreciates the opportunity to visit with these property owners along County Highway 6, and he suggested reducing the speed limit on County Highway 17 also because that road is no longer a rural road due to the number of homes being built in the Horace area. MOTION, passed Mr. Koenig moved and Mr. Wieland seconded to adopt the following Resolution #1999-15 restricting weights on Cass County Highway 6 between Cass County Highway 17 and Interstate 29, with the following