Hwy 371 and Hwy 34 — Walker

The final report is now available on the project website: www.talk.dot.state.mn.us/hwy-371-walker. The Community Review Panel (CRP) held the fourth and final meeting earlier this summer. The panel voted on preferred alternatives presented by the MnDOT project team. The study began in October 2023.

The study included an open house, online surveys, pop-up events, meetings with business owners and four CRP meetings. The CRP includes representatives from the City of Walker, Cass County, and various local community and business interests. The group met throughout the study to review possible design options for each segment of the Highway 371 corridor, including downtown, Michigan Avenue to the causeway, causeway to Highway 200, and Highway 34 south of Highway 371. The final meeting was well attended and concluded with a poll of which options were preferred by individual members.

The preferred alternatives include roundabouts at Highway 34, Tower Avenue and Highway 200. The study supported traffic signals at Fifth and Sixth Streets.

MnDOT project staff presented the preferred alternatives to the Walker City Council in August at a work session. Council later voted to approve the preferred alternatives, which allows MnDOT staff to begin the design of the project. The study includes a final report which includes the publicly supported design alternative. This report will provide the framework for project staff to seek funding and municipal support for the improvement project.

The final report, including the preferred alternatives can be found under project documents on this page. If you would like the final report in ADA accessible format, please email leslie.seitz@state.mn.us.

MnDOT and the City of Walker invite and encourage participation by all. If you need an ASL, foreign language interpreter, or other reasonable accommodation, or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print), email your request to ADArequest@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720.

Take the Survey

During public outreach in the fall of 2023, the following priority areas were identified as the greatest need:

1. Mainline and side street traffic flow
2. Parking/Business Access
3. Safety
4. Pedestrian/Bicycle Access
5. Costs associated with improvements

Based on these priority areas, the project team has developed roadway alternatives for different segments of the corridor. Please take a few minutes to review corridor concepts and rate your preference on each one.

Please review the alternatives developed for each segment of the corridor. On a scale of 1 (least preferred) to 5 (most preferred), rate your preference for each alternative.

The survey has closed.

MnDOT Community Review Panel met on Highway 371 and Highway 34 City of Walker Corridor Study

BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Community Review Panel (CRP) for the Walker Corridor Study had its third meeting on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at the Walker Area Community Center. The CRP includes representatives from the City of Walker, Cass County, and various local community and business interests. The group met to review possible design options for each segment of the Highway 371 corridor, including Downtown, Michigan Avenue to the causeway, causeway to Highway 200, and Highway 34 south of Highway 371. The meeting was well attended and concluded with a poll of which options were preferred by individual members. The public will have the opportunity to review and provide input on these options in early May.

About this project

This study will identify transportation improvements that could be implemented on Highway 371 and Highway 34 in Walker when these pavement projects occur in 2029-2030.

The project team plans to compile a survey for Hwy 371 and Hwy 34 users in early May. After the survey results are compiled, project staff will present those results to CRP members for final alternatives to be presented to the City of Walker later this summer. Once the City of Walker approves to move forward with the alternatives for each section of the corridor, MnDOT staff will begin design for the project.

To learn more about the project, visit the project website https://talk.dot.state.mn.us/hwy-371-walker, where you can sign up for email updates, review information and submit comments and questions.

MnDOT and the City of Walker invite and encourage participation by all. If you need an ASL, foreign language interpreter, or other reasonable accommodation, or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print), email your request to ADArequest@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720.

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www.mndot.gov

Where is the study now?

The project team will host the third community review panel meeting on February 22, 2024. At this meeting, the group will discuss developed alternatives for the urban portion of the project. The group will review scoring criteria such as traffic trends, crash data, traffic control warrants and operational results. The team is looking for community and business input on the alternatives and keeping this study moving forward to a community supported vision. Other alternatives and combinations of improvements are being considered with business feedback that these alternatives may generate.

What's next?

We want your feedback. The project team will be meeting with local businesses to receive feedback on the two proposed alternatives for the urban section of the project. Please review the images of Traffic Signal Alternative A and Mini Roundabout Alternative B. Use the comments tab to submit your comments or questions.

Traffic Signal Alternative A

Mini Roundabout Alternative B

Where is the study now?

The study is in its early stages and is looking to better understand the current conditions. The project team has been conducting research on the corridor, which includes a deep-dive on the traffic levels and how they adjust within the year, and throughout the years to come. The team hosted the first meeting of the community review panel and additional public events. An early goal is to identify core values, which will serve as the foundation throughout the study.

What's next?

We will continue to learn more about the current conditions and needs of the community.

How to participate:

1. Learn more about the study in the posts below
2. View the display boards and information from the Community Review Panel and Open Houses
3. The online survey took place in November and is now closed. Use the comments tab to submit your comments or questions

How do you use Hwy 371 in Walker? Some may use it as a connection to people, neighborhoods, businesses, schools, lakes, recreation, or tourism. Others may use it as a connector between Bemidji and Brainerd. The safety of all who use this corridor is a growing concern. Could we make improvements that would provide a safer experience, for all modes of transportation?

To answer that question we are conducting a planning study in partnership with the City of Walker. It seeks to evaluate the potential improvement options available and develop a community-supported vision for the future.

A steering committee of local stakeholders and community leaders are guiding the study team. Everyone that interacts with the corridors in Walker is invited to participate and provide input. Members of the committee include:

• Hope Fairchild, City of Walker, (Chair)
• Dan Martin, City of Walker, Public Works
• Gary Wilkening, City of Walker, City Council
• Peter Anderley, City of Walker, Police
• Jon Stewart, City of Walker, Fire
• Mike Chosa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Communications Director
• Cindy Wannarka, Leech Lake Chamber of Commerce
• Roxanne Park, Leech Lake Chamber of Commerce
• Eric Alger, Cass County Sheriff
• Darrick Anderson, Cass County Engineer
• Josh Stevenson, Cass County Administrator
• Pete Opheim, Shingobee Township
• Dave Schotzko, DNR
• Mark Bovee, Leech Lake Association Board
• Dana Gutzmann, Leech Lake River Watershed
• Will Frizzell, local business owner
• Simon Whitehead, resident
• Beth Anderson – Angerson Log Homes Co
• Toby Larson – Walker Animal Hospital
• Reno Wells – Turtle Lake Township
• Steve Bilben – Shingobee connection

It's important to us to find community supported solutions. We will determine a preferred alternative in close consultation with community members and stakeholders. We'll use this study to determine the recommended option, and then pursue funding. The process will take several years and will involve additional public outreach along with consent from the City of Walker and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

You can share your input via the questions and comments tab, MnDOT project manager Matt Upgren (matthew.upgren@state.mn.us; 218-407-0703), the study steering committee chair Hope Fairchild (hfairchild@ci.walker.mn.us; 218-547-5501), or any member of the study steering committee.

Nestled on the southwest shore of Leech Lake, Walker is a vibrant city that is unique in its size, layout, tourism and importance to the region. The highway pavement will reach the end of its lifecycle within the next 10 years, so we would like to have a community supported vision to help guide future project development.