In 2002 Metro COG, Clay County, the Cities of Moorhead and Dilworth, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation embarked upon the Trunk Highway TH) 336 County Road (CR )11 Corridor Management Plan. A rural two lane road, TH 336 was quickly becoming the eastern belt-line of the Metro area. Given traffic increases and conflict issues with both trains and intersection safety at US 10, the road was upgraded to a four lane section.
The intent of the study was to identify corridor preservation techniques to protect the recent 25 million dollar investment made in the corridor. The investments allowed for the construction of a four section of limited access highway from US 10 to I-94 and allowed for a grade separation of TH 336 and CR 11 with both US 10 and the Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) rail line. The outcome of the CMP resulted in a list of action steps to help managed access along the corridor and suggestions to help coordinate development pressure in the area.
In addition to the TH 336/CSAH 11 Corridor Management Plan, several planning efforts have been completed or are currently in progress which has some degree of influence on the TH 336/12th Avenue intersection and adjacent lands.
- Moorhead Comprehensive Plan
- Moorhead Growth Area Plan
- Moorhead's Long Range Sanitary and Storm sewer Master Plan
- Clay County Development Code
- Dilworth Comprehensive Plan – Growth Area Amendment
- 2030 Metropolitan Transportation Plan
- Moorhead Public Service Wellhead Protection Plan
In 2005 Metro COG again engaged Clay County, the Cities of Moorhead and Dilworth, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation in a study to follow up on the 2002 CMP, and to take into consideration the other planning efforts which had recently been completed in the vicinity of TH 336/CR11.
The 2005 Study developed geometric alternatives for a grade separated interchange at TH 336/12th Avenue and associated cost estimates, based a variety of land use scenarios. The 2005 effort provided an understanding of the operational impacts to TH 336 of land use scenarios adjacent to the TH 336/12th Avenue South intersection.
The outcome of the 2005 Study helped address the above noted objectives and assisted local, state, and Federal agencies understand the dynamics and needs of the project area from land use and transportation perspective. As well the study helped to clarify inter-jurisdictional relationships concerning coordination with in the project area.
Wade Kline, Metropolitan Council of Governments
Wade Kline is the Community Development Planner for the Metropolitan Council of Governments (Metro COG). Metro COG is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area. He received a Bachelors of Arts degree from Saint Cloud State University in Urban and Local Affairs. He has worked for a regional planning agency in Southeastern Vermont and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Bozeman Daily Chronicle in Bozeman, MT.
