Rebuild eyed for one of last gravel roads

Only two gravel roads remain in Eden Prairie, and one of them – the segment of Dell Road from Crestwood Terrace to Flying Cloud Drive – is now likely to be rebuilt and paved in 2025.

With the Eden Prairie City Council voting Tuesday, Nov. 14, to move ahead, city staff will now schedule a January public hearing for the southwestern EP project, which is significant because it includes sewer, water, and storm drainage construction in addition to the road rebuild, all on a steep and curving route up and down the Minnesota River Valley bluffs.

The city wants to build a 32-foot-wide, two-lane road with curb and gutter along it and an 8-foot-wide asphalt trail. The slopes along the road will require the city to build retaining walls, estimated in the city’s feasibility report to vary in height from 5 to 20 feet. The road segment – about four-tenths of a mile – also crosses Riley Creek.

When the costs of building the street, trail, sewer and water utilities, and stormwater drainage are added together, the total comes to nearly $8.4 million, not including easements or road right-of-way. Of that, about $1.2 million would be assessed to nearby benefiting property owners, according to the plan, and $4.4 million would be paid with state aid. The city would pay the balance.

The city has been looking at this project since 2006, reviewed multiple alternatives, and met with nearby residents several times. One of the motivations to proceed is that the adjacent 30-acre Marshall Farm has been put on the real estate market for possible development. (Not to be confused with the Marshalls Farm Market near the corner of County Roads 1 and 4.) The family farm would be among the properties assessed for the road and utilities project. Like Eden Prairie residents before them, homebuyers would expect streets, sewer, and water to already be in place, explained City Engineer Carter Schulze.

Here’s the schedule foreseen by the city if things go as projected:

• Jan. 16, 2024 – Hold a public hearing and city council vote to order improvements.
• September 2024 – OK final plans.
• October/November 2024 – Open bids and award construction contract.
• November 2025 – Substantial completion.
• July 2026 – Final completion.
• October 2026 – Final assessment hearing.
• Spring 2027 – Assessments first appear on affected property owners’ tax statements.

The other remaining gravel road in Eden Prairie, according to Schulze, is a portion of Valley Road, also in southwestern EP.