R2003-65 AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNCIL COMMUNICATION FORM Engineering & Infrastructure Memorandum NO. 2003-22 April 24, 2003 TO: Honorable Mayor Osborne and City Council FROM: Steve Garman, City Manager (,� Stephen Swanson, P.E., Director of Engineering & Infrastructure SUBJECT: Twin Bridge Road Study SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by City staff that the City Council approve the attached resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement between the City, the Decatur Park District and Homer L. Chastain &Associates for the Twin Bridge Road Special Area Study. BACKGROUND: The Decatur Park District, which owns and manages the Decatur International Airport, has a lease agreement with United Parcel Service (UPS) for a cargo facility on the airport property. The cargo facility is located at the north terminus of Twin Bridge Road, approximately 700 feet north of the intersection of Twin Bridge Road with US Route 36 (refer to attached locale map). The District has wanted to improve the accessibility to the cargo facility, especially for UPS trucks and delivery step vans and for the possible future expansion of this area. Twin Bridge Road north from its intersection with Route 36 to Ocean Trail Drive is a relatively narrow two lane roadway. This section of roadway, at its intersection with Route 36, limits the turning movements of trucks entering and exiting the highway to and from the UPS facility. The turning movements at this intersection are further complicated by the existing railroad tracks parallel to and in close proximity to Route 36 and the lack of separate turn lanes on Route 36. Twin Bridge Road is improved north of Ocean Trail Drive to its entrance into the UPS facility to accommodate large truck traffic. The City and the District met with the Illinois Department of Transportation in 1993 to discuss improvements to Route 36 along with improvements to Twin Bridge Road. There was an understanding, at that time, that the planning would proceed for the improvements to Twin Bridge Road. Any improvements to Route 36 would be in the future when traffic flow justified the installation of turning lanes. The preliminary design work for improvements to Twin Bridge Road was started by the City in 1993. However, the project has not advanced much since then. The reasons are not fully known by current City staff, but may relate to the lack of concurrent interest, objectives, priorities, the agreement of the City and District to pursue the project, or the availability of funds for the project.