Roadway roundabout plans continuing
News | Published on February 20, 2024 at 4:33pm GMT+0000 | Author: Tucker Henderson
0County, school, city partnership approved
By Tom Hintgen
Otter Tail County Correspondent
County Engineer Krysten Foster informed county commissioners about the approximate timetable regarding the new roundabout near the YMCA (North Friberg and East Fir Avenue) in Fergus Falls.
Also planned are possible roundabouts near Dairyland (North Union and Fir Avenue) and a third roundabout north of Productive Alternatives (West Fir Avenue and Tower Road).
“Otter Tail County is seeking grant funds to support the construction of all three roundabouts near the YMCA, Dairyland and Tower Road intersections,” Foster said. “If the city and county are selected for state and/or federal grant money, construction is expected to begin in 2026 or 2027.”
Foster added that if the grant application is not successful this round, construction of the Fir and Friberg roundabout near the Fergus Falls YMCA could begin in 2025.
County, school, city partnership approved
County commissioners approved a joint plan for one end of the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail, in Pelican Rapids. A multi-use building near the high school football and baseball fields will be used by both city residents and those who plan to use the recreational trail that will run from Pelican Rapids to Perham.
The school district will maintain the building.
The trail also will run through Maplewood State Park. To that end, bids will soon be coming in to county government for construction of the trail through the park, east of Pelican Rapids, according to County Parks and Trails Director Kevin Fellbaum.
Also needed, says Fellbaum, are obtaining grant funding for construction and receiving final permitting agreements between Otter Tail County and the Minnesota DNR. There are plans in place in the coming years for the addition of connecting spur trail segments from the main trail to the communities of Dent and Vergas.
Fellbaum said that four of the five major trail segments of the regional trail are built: the Pelican Rapids segment, Silent Lake segment, McDonald Lake segment and Perham segment.