College Drive is a significant east-west corridor for the Brainerd area as it is one of three east-west bridge crossings over the Mississippi River. Over the past decade traffic on this road has significantly grown. The Average Daily Traffic (ADT) in 2007 was 14,900 vehicles per day and is expected to continue to grow. As traffic increases, access onto the road and flow through the corridor will become more difficult. College Drive also provides access to Central Lakes College, Kiwanis Park and Brainerd High School. These facilities also make the corridor very attractive to pedestrians and bicyclists. The limited pedestrian facilities and high traffic make this a safety concern. With the growing traffic and safety concerns, there is a need to improve the road to handle more traffic safely and make the road more pedestrian friendly.

Project Location Map

The City of Brainerd applied for and received Federal Highway Funding to assist in funding the reconstruction and safety improvements along College Drive. The City has retained the services of WSB & Associates, Inc. in conjunction with Westwood Professional Services to develop the proposed improvements, prepare construction plans, and assist the City during construction. Project development phase will involve a series of public meetings to engage residential input and discussion of roadway widths, sidewalks, trails, intersection configurations, drainage concerns, and other input as the City develops the proposed improvements.

Proposed Alternative

Some of the goals of the project are to improve safety, improve traffic flow, make the corridor pedestrian friendly, and to provide intersection treatments, traffic signals or roundabouts, at key intersections, while providing an aesthetically pleasing corridor that minimizes environmental impacts and is cost effective.

The intent of this page is to provide current project information to the public so questions and concerns can be answered. It also list project contact information so that any questions, comments, or concerns can be answered by those who are most involved with the projects development. We encourage you to visit the website to receive the most up-do-date information.

Project Design

• Project Location Map
• Project Aerial Map
• Project Layout (Alternative #3)
• Proposed Cross Section

The proposed project design consists of three roundabouts along College Drive at the intersections of Mississippi Parkway, SW 4th Street, and S 4th Street. For more information on roundabouts, what they are, why they are used and how to navigate them, please visit the City’s roundabout webpage.

Project Schedule

The following is an estimate of the project schedule. Currently construction is estimated to begin in the fall of 2010 wiht the majority of the construction to take place during the summer of 2011. The schedule will be updated as the project develops.

• Project Schedule

Public Meetings

• Open House #1 Announcement
• Open House #1 Presentation (9-30-08)
• Open House #2 Announcement
• Open House #2 Written Comments
• Council Presentation 2-2-09
• Open House #3 Announcement


Project Management Team (PMT)

The main purpose of the PMT is to provide guidance to the consultant on the direction of the study. The PMT also works as a liaison between the consultant and the elected officials. The Project Management Team consists of; City of Brainerd staff, City of Brainerd elected council members, Central Lakes College, ISD 181, property owners, MN DOT State Aid, Crow Wing County, Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, WSB & Associates and Westwood Professional Services.

Project Alternatives

• Typical College Drive Section - Typical sections of the College Drive corridor for the different alternatives proposed.
• Alternative A - Intersection control at 5th & Quince, College Drive & South 4th, College Drive & SW 4th, and College Drive and Mississippi Parkway would be Traffic Lights with right and left turn lanes.
• Alternative B - Intersection control at 5th & Quince, College Drive & South 4th, College Drive & SW 4th, and College Drive and Mississippi Parkway would be roundabouts.
• Alternative C - This is a hybrid of Alternative A and Alternative B. Intersection controls at 5th & Quince would be Traffic Signals. Intersection controls at College Drive & South 4th, College Drive & SW 4th, and College Drive and Mississippi Parkway would be roundabouts. Alternative C was the preferred alternative recommended by the PMT and approved by the City Council on February 2, 2009 to proceed with final design.

Alternative three was the preferred alternative recommended by the PMT and approved by the City Council on February 2, 2009 to proceed with final design.

Additional information on roundabouts can be found here.

Project Contacts

Should you have any questions, concerns or comments in regards to the College Drive project, please contact one of the following: