Downtown Prior Lake Improvement Project

Scott County, MN, USA, in coordination with the City of Prior Lake and Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), established and implemented corridor improvements for County Road (CR) 21 and State Highway (Hwy) 13 in Downtown Prior Lake. The intersection and adjacent corridor had been identified as needing improvement due to mobility and safety concerns associated with existing and forecasted traffic. The project evaluated potential improvements to intersections in close proximity to the CR 21/Hwy 13 intersection, in particular CR 21/Main Avenue. It also considered traffic impacts on surrounding streets, including impacts on pedestrian safety and accessibility. Efforts were focused on Downtown Prior Lake, with corridor visioning for the longer segment of CR 21 from CH 82/154th Street to Franklin Trail. Balancing the competing needs of the local and regional transportation system through Downtown Prior Lake required a detailed review of engineering and planning measures to fully understand the benefits and deficiencies for a range of alternatives.