Rice County commissioners weigh trail and drainage concerns for County Road 20 reconstruction

Rice County Board of Commissioners members spent the bulk of the Jan. 6 meeting discussing the County Road 20 reconstruction project and a proposed bike trail that would accompany phase 1 (about 3.7 miles).

Dennis, Rice County’s highway representative, presented the public comments collected at an open house and online and said the packet contained all 49 submissions received to date. He described phase 1 as still in early design but gave the board a preliminary reconstruction estimate: “But, right now, I’d say 7 to $8,000,000,” and said the trail component could be about 10% of the total project cost (roughly $750,000) if added.

Dennis described the planned cross section as driving lanes with 8‑foot paved shoulders (a 40‑foot typical pavement width where no turn lane is needed) and said some intersections would require turn or bypass lanes; he also said there are nine intersections in phase 1 that will see improvements. He told the board design quantities should be tighter by May and urged commissioners to make a decision about the trail after next week’s public hearing so the design team does not waste effort redesigning plans prior to final direction.

Resident Mick Kennedy spoke during public comment, identified himself as living on County Road 120 and described a perennial drainage problem that has damaged his alfalfa crop. “Two years ago, I lost a crop of alfalfa because all this water coming through there,” Kennedy said, asking that the county evaluate a culvert that drains toward his field. He also said the bike path would consume farmland and expressed frustration about potential land loss.

Dennis said the project team has not completed detailed drainage calculations because alignment and grade work are still in progress but that the culvert and overflow issues Kennedy described will be examined in design. He cautioned the board that the county must be mindful of downstream landowners when altering drainage and said some additional right of way will likely be needed for the road and, in certain places, for the trail. Early indications, he said, suggest the trail may fit within existing right of way in many locations.

Commissioners asked about public outreach and the representativeness of the comments; Dennis said the open house and online comment period produced 49 responses and referenced prior county planning surveys that had broader outreach. Commissioners also discussed the Millstown state trail and whether the county should coordinate with the Minnesota DNR; Dennis said the DNR has acquired substantial right of way on that corridor but still needs to resolve some parcels and that county‑DNR partnerships have been discussed for related projects.

Next steps: the board will hold a public hearing on the county’s 10‑year transportation plan (which includes the County Road 20 project) next week. Dennis recommended the board issue direction after that hearing; he said any decision to remove the trail would change design work and could alter right‑of‑way needs and project timing.