The water is finally receding along East Main Street, but business owners along the chronically flooded street wonder what can be done about the problem.

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

The water is finally receding along East Main Street, but business owners along the chronically flooded street wonder what can be done about the problem.

One suggestion has been to raise the elevation of the street to prevent road closure and access problems, especially for the north side of the street.

But the idea of raising a section of East Main Street to avoid future flooding and closure isn’t even in the infant stages – it has barely been conceived.

Brian Jergenson, public affairs representative for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, said he isn’t aware of any plans to raise the roadway or even to study the feasibility of such a project.

As a native of Albert Lea, Jergenson knows that the portion of East Main Street near the Union Center are prone to flooding.

&uot;It was flooding when I was a kid, and the department knows about the situation – that flooding has occurred in the past, causing some closures,&uot; Jergenson said.

To initiate a study of raising the roadway, Jergenson said the city would normally approach MnDOT to pitch the idea. That hasn’t occurred to his knowledge, he said.

&uot;Usually that would be the process. The city would come to us. I don’t imagine we would look at it unless the city felt a compelling interest and was willing to participate in the costs,&uot; Jergenson said.

East Main Street, also known as State Highway 65, is part of the state’s trunk highway system, Jergenson said. Because of that designation, it is the state’s responsibility to maintain the road.

Jergenson said MnDOT has plans to resurface the road from Broadway to I-35 this summer. The department will also put the finishing touches on the Shell Rock River and Union Pacific Railroad bridges, a project nearly finished last fall.

&uot;We’ve done a lot of work over the years on East Main, and our work isn’t done. But the idea of raising it is news to me,&uot; Jergenson said.

City Engineer Dave Olson said he has never been asked about building up East Main, but imagines the project would be prohibitively expensive. Right-of-way acquisition alone would take a lot of time and money, he said.

&uot;Raising the road would be a big project. I’m sure studying the possibility would take years by itself,&uot; Olson said.

MnDOT typically plans and prioritizes major projects years in advance as part of five and 10-year capital improvement budgets, Olson said. If raising East Main was determined to be possible and worth the price, the department would probably wait several years.

Ward 5 city councilor Mary Kron said no one has ever asked her about raising the portion of East Main, which is in her ward. In fact, she said, she has heard almost nothing over the years about flooding concerns in the area.

&uot;I would certainly take any concerns about flooding to the council. That’s my policy on all issues,&uot; said Kron.