Century Wine & Spirits

On Century Blvd.  *  952-401-WINE

         As Brian Shorten continued to address residents at the open house, he said,  “Generally what we have heard is, get it done!  There will be trade-offs with the different options.  When we talk about access, we have to talk about local circulation.  We’ve developed choices that fit the parameters.  Graphic illustrations may be more understated to the general public.”

         He continued, “After city councils along the corridor select locally supported alternatives, we can’t pick a preferred alternative until we get an environmental worksheet, but homeowners like a sense of what it could look like.”

         He continued, “We are doing some modifications to existing accesses.  We don’t want to see a lot of private driveways onto Highway 5.  We propose those access points be eliminated.  The crash rate goes up significantly with more accesses per mile.”

         He continued, “If we’re going to spend a large amount of taxpayer money on this corridor, safety is what we’re trying to achieve.  There are also key environmental issues that must be addressed.  We’ve listed 25 of them, with six or 7 being most prominent.  By doing a good job here, we’ll increase the chance of getting funding.”

***

         Meanwhile, there is no lull in the traffic, no safety, and no state funding for thousands of taxpayers who drive Highway 5 every single day.  The killing continues.

Excelsior Farmer’s Market

Open Thursdays 2 to 6 p.m.

V & S Jewelry

Mound * 952-472-3233

Crow River Clock Repair

Watertown * 952-955-1192

952-442-4411

Crossroads Medical Centers, P.A.

Chaska 448-2050 

Shakopee 496-6700  Prior Lake 447-1700

Weinzierl

Jewelers

Waconia  952-442-2885

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Addie’s

Drawing

Notice the several private driveways with direct access onto Hwy 5.   At the top of the hill is the unlighted dangerous intersection with Park Drive and Kochia Lane, the intersection photographed for the front page.

This stream of cars moving west through Victoria is not a funeral procession, but it is a daily procession and almost ongoing.  It often stretches for miles without a break between Waconia and Chanhassen.  It becomes very dangerous for people at many Victoria businesses -- such as the Marathon Gas Station and Hi-5 Convenience Store (above), as well as Cabin Fever Sporting Goods, Subway, Roulette’s Pizza, Hartman Offices, Dr. Baker’s Building, Digger’s Polaris, Holiday Gas Station, Victoria Auto Werks, Victoria Auto Haus, Timberwall Landscape, and others -- to get onto the Highway during several hours of each day in each week.  The particular businesses just named are unlike the Victoria House or Floyd’s or Mackenthun’s, for example, that have access to the signaled intersection in downtown Victoria.

Sometimes the traffic through downtown Victoria is lighter, as photographed here, but the Victoria Firefighters and their Fire and Rescue Trucks use 80th Street to get onto Hwy 5 and there’s no place for cars to get out of their way when traffic is heavier.  In other words, it’s not just a matter of safety; it’s a matter of life and death for people who call 9-1-1.