Sartell City Council Approves Final Designs On County Road 1

SARTELL -- The Sartell City Council unanimously approved the final designs of the County Road 1 (Riverside Avenue) project Monday night.

The project includes sewer and water upgrades, an 8-foot-wide paved trail from Sartell Street to 12th Street North, multiple overlooks by the Mississippi River, and a "new" pedestrian bridge.

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The project also includes sidewalk connectors to provide a complete trail network from 2nd Street South to 12th Street North and beyond.

Stearns County Engineer Jodi Teich says this project originally began as a resurfacing project, but evolved as talks between the county and city developed.

This was initially planned for the county as more or less as a resurface, but once we began those discussions with the city, they wanted to figure out what needed to be done with their utilities. Once the project took on a larger scope, we fit it into our schedule that made sense financially for both the city and county.

The city says old Sartell bridge will be the new pedestrian bridge and feature decorative lighting and four scenic overlook areas with historical markers to tell the history of the bridge and embrace the river.

Throughout the process, several residents have addressed their concerns about safety with the project. To help address those concerns, the council approved additional features such as pedestrian flashers, pedestrian islands and radar speed signs.

The total cost of the project is roughly $12-million, which will be split between Stearns County and Sartell.

Preparation for the project will begin this fall, with construction to start in the spring of 2022.