Road options start at $1.87 million

All roads lead to Arbor Valley. Well, almost.

When Arbor Valley broke ground in 2003, a resolution was signed between the city and property developers - the developers would take care of the sewer and water infrastructure to the annexed development in exchange for a road to be built at a future date. The road was contingent on cumulative property values, with enough property developed in Arbor Valley to generate the property taxes necessary to fund such a project. The development did their part, installing more than $800,000 worth of infrastructure. Now, over two decades later, Arbor Valley has 16 houses built with two more coming this year, and a transportation study has identified possible routes there.

“We have had conversations in the past with regards to the roads into the development, when it would be appropriate for a project relative to the growth of that development,” Osceola City Administrator Ty Wheeler said at a February work session.

With no direct access road to the Arbor Valley Lake subdivision from city right-of-way, residents mostly utilize Highway 34 west to 205th Avenue, then south to Idaho Place and back east to West Vintner’s Drive, the latter of which is a private road; Southwest Boulevard also connects to Idaho Place. About a mile of 205th is split down the middle of the county and city due to the edge of Osceola city limits; the county maintains the road at all times. To surface 205th, however, would be at a great cost to the city, as that is a farm-to-market road.

“The county has advised that if [205th] was to be surfaced, they would require it be brought up to a two-lane county highway standard, which would require acquisition of property on either side, so that corridor could be widened and ditch sections properly graded and the like,” Wheeler explained. “Which would be a considerable cost.”

The transportation study identified three possible alternatives, with the recommended alternative to use existing pavement in the Eddy Saylor Business Park, opening up the end of East Eddy Saylor Parkway to connect to Idaho Street. By extending the existing road, it would be intended for local traffic and also greatly reduces the costs.

The recommended alternative, Alternative B, details: Improve Idaho Street from East Eddy Saylor Parkway to Idaho Street (gravel road), then Idaho Place south to West Vintners Drive. This will require approximately 1,000 feet of new roadway and a new bridge over White Breast Creek. Some improvements would be needed to Idaho Street for truck wash traffic in the business park. The approximate cost would be $1.857 million.

The other two alternatives identified were:

• Alternative A: Improve 205th Avenue from Highway 34 south to Idaho Place (gravel road) and east to West Vintners Drive. This will require the roadway to meet current farm-to-market standards. The approximate cost would be $2.7 million. Annual dust control could cost $40,000-$50,000 based on current prices.

• Alternative C: Improve Southwest Boulevard (concrete to gravel) from where the road ends onto Idaho Place, then to Idaho Place and south on West Vintners Drive. This will require approximately 1,000 feet of new roadway and a new bridge over White Breast Creek, as well as improvements for truck traffic as noted in Alternative B. The approximate cost would be $4.4 million.

The estimated project costs for all three do not include wetland or stream mitigation costs. All cost estimates use Otta-Seal product for surfacing, which is a thinner and more flexible surface than traditional asphalt or concrete. Due to the higher costs and lack of potential funding, Alternative C was dismissed by the study as a non-viable option. While Alternative A would likely be eligible for funding, the earliest funding availability through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program would be 2031. Alternative B would utilize local funds, and possibly be eligible for STBG funding at some point.

As the recommended alternative would require a new bridge, Wheeler said the next step is to initiate a stream crossing study to determine the best approach to take.

“[That] would do the wetland and stream delineation, a hydraulic analysis: it would do some conceptual layout and cost opinions,” he said. “Then it would also do a dam breach analysis, all of which would be required if we were going to establish a crossing.”

The money for the study, about $54,000, has already been budgeted. There is no time line established for the road project.

Truck traffic

The transportation study also identified two other potential road improvement projects - an extension of 240th Street to Highway 34 and a Warren Avenue extension to Clay Street.

Due to potential future growth around NEW Cooperative on the north side of town, the city has been looking into finding an alternate route for heavy truck traffic that currently uses Highway 69/Main Street as the most direct route.

“The long-term vision was - how do we get freight from out here on Highway 34, up here without going through the middle of town?” Wheeler said.

As had been noted at the Feb. 25 work session, the project would largely be a DOT project with city coordination.

There were five alternatives identified to re-route truck traffic, with varying degrees of difficulty and costs. Alternative 3 was identified as the preferred alternative, as it would run mostly parallel to the existing railroad, and reduce the options for developable parcels between the road and tracks.

• Alternative 1 - Connect Townline Road (a concrete road that turns to gravel) east to 270th Avenue (an asphalt surface road), then south on 270th Avenue to Highway 34. This would require approximately 1 mile of reconstruction on Townline, 2.5 miles of new roadway to 270th and 1 mile of 270th. There would be an offset to avoid a known Century Farm. This alternative would cost an estimated $17.6 million.

• Alternative 2 - Follow Townline east, then turn southeast to connect to Highway 34 near the base of the hill on the highway to cross over the railroad bridge. This would require approximately 1 mile of reconstruction on Townline and 1.8 miles of new roadway, set to avoid existing homesteads, adding 90-degree intersections and space for potential rail access development. This alternative would cost an estimated $9.9 million.

• Alternative 3 PREFERRED - Follow Townline east, then turn southeast and follow the railroad to connect to Highway 34 near the base of the hill. This would require approximately 1 mile of reconstruction on Townline and 1.8 miles of new roadway, set to avoid existing homesteads, adding 90-degree intersections and follow close to the railroad. This alternative would cost an estimated $10 million.

• Alternative 4 - Follows Alternative 3, but connects at Kansas Street (a gravel road) and goes east to 270th. This would require approximately 1 mile of reconstruction on Townline, .8 miles of new roadway, 2 miles of reconstruction on Kansas Street and one-half mile reconstruction on 270th. This alternative would cost an estimated $14.8 million.

• Alternative 5 - Follows Alternative 2, but connects at Kansas Street and goes east to 270th. This would require approximately 1 mile of reconstruction on Townline, 1 mile of new roadway, 1.8 miles of reconstruction on Kansas Street and one-half mile reconstruction on 270th. This alternative would cost an estimated $14.5 million.

Each alternative identified the various grades and landscapes of the roads and surrounding lands. All estimated costs do not include wetland and stream mitigation costs. It was noted any roadway connection between Highway 34 and Townline Road will require some amount of new roadway construction.

“All these are between $10 [and] $17 million, so they’re not city-fundable in terms of affordability,” Wheeler said. He said the next step would be to discuss the plan with the DOT.

The study did identify alternatives 2 and 3 as likely eligible for outside funding.

Warren Avenue

Warren Avenue on the west edge of town is a dead-end road on both ends, and one that receives a large quantity of traffic daily from industry to the south and residential to the north, including access to the Kading Property developments and other housing on Truman Road.

“Basically, the idea was if you were at Warren and Highway 34, you should be able to get up to Clay Street somehow without going out onto the interstate,” Wheeler said.

At the time the transportation study was approved last year, there was an understanding that a private developer would take the lead on such improvements and construction. With the death of that developer last fall, current plans for a road extension are on pause pending land sales and future of that land. The intersection of Warren Avenue and Highway 34 is currently identified as an area of improvement in a DOT road plan.