Hwy 10/75

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2022 Demonstration Project

In Sept/October 2022, in collaboration with the City of Moorhead and Metro COG, MnDOT installed a demonstration project on Main Avenue/Highway 10 between the Red River and Highway 75/Eighth Street. Main Avenue users encountered barrels, signs and additional striping in both directions between Fourth Street and Eighth Street to evaluate:

• Three-lane highway configuration
• Curb extensions, or bump outs, at intersection crossings for pedestrian visibility
• On-street parking spaces
• Signal modifications to match demonstration layout

Demonstration projects allow public agencies, community partners, and people walking, bicycling, taking transit, and driving to evaluate potential infrastructure improvements before potentially investing in permanent changes.

The demonstration project tested the benefits of a three-lane section at this location to help MnDOT evaluate if these changes could become a permanent solution as we begin preparing plans to reconstruct this portion of Main Avenue/Highway 10/75 in the future.

Demonstration components

For this demonstration project, Main Avenue was reconfigured to three lanes (one driving lane in each direction with with a center left turn lane), with curb extensions/bump outs at pedestrian crossings and on-street parking. The proposed layout was very similar to what travelers currently experience on the other side of the river in downtown Fargo.

Eastbound layout: Starts at Fourth Street, ends at Eighth Street

• Near Fourth Street, the southernmost driving lane transitioned into a right turn lane
• Curb extensions/bump outs continued at Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Streets
• Parking spaces were delineated between the bump outs
• Dedicated right turn lane at Seventh and Eighth Streets
• Signal operations adjusted to match the layout

Westbound layout: Starts at Eighth Street, ends at Fourth Street

• Near Eighth Street, the northernmost driving lane was closed
• Curb extensions/bump outs continued at Sixth, Fifth and Fourth Streets
• Parking spaces were delineated between the bump outs
• Signal operations adjusted to match the layout

Background

In 2020, Metro COG lead a study with MnDOT, City of Moorhead, MATBUS and Moorhead State University to provide alternatives and possible solutions to address the needs of all stakeholders within the corridor.  The study had the following goals:  

• Provide roadways that fit land use (i.e., appropriate access and design).
• Balancing the needs of all users (cars, trucks, bikes, pedestrians, and adjacent property owners)
• Create an environment to stimulate growth.
• Provide flexibility for near and long-term transportation needs.
• Improve “Gateway” feel by creating a welcoming entrance into Moorhead along Hwy 10 and Hwy 75 corridors

Given the recent addition of high-density residential developments, and the city’s desire to improve the downtown atmosphere, both the corridor study and the City’s Downtown Plan recognized the need to promote walking and biking. Reducing Main Avenue to three lanes with on-street parking was the preferred alternative. The demonstration project helped to determine feasibility of that alternative with current/future traffic volumes.