County engineer outlines 2nd Street reconstruction in Proctor and warns town may lose quiet zone without upgrades

St. Louis County engineering staff presented preliminary plans to rebuild 2nd Street in Proctor, laying out a work area from 5th Street to Highway 2 that would remove existing curb, pavement and sidewalks and reconstruct the street with two 11-foot travel lanes, 9-foot parking lanes and 8-foot sidewalks on both sides.

The county engineer said the project will be funded by St. Louis County while city utilities under the roadway mean the city must replace a few water valves before construction. "So the scope of this project is gonna be basically to take everything off the top of the road. We're gonna take the curb off, the pavement off, the sidewalk off," the county engineer said, describing a rebuild that preserves current curb lines because no major underground work is planned.

Why it matters: Jess Rich, Proctor city administrator, told attendees that Federal Railroad Administration quiet-zone requirements have changed since the community first established a quiet zone and the town's crossing no longer meets the FRA's final-rule criteria. "If we do not put in these safety measures, we will lose our quiet zone, which will mean the train horns will start, blowing as they come through town," Rich said, urging added safety work to prevent the return of routine horn blasts.

Rich outlined the principal options the FRA permits: quadrant crossing gates (the most expensive option and identified as a city responsibility), converting the street to one-way (not feasible here), closing the crossing (not acceptable to the community) or installing medians/channelization devices. The county has proposed raised concrete medians as a pragmatic option to maintain the quiet zone while tying the median installation to the upcoming reconstruction.

Project trade-offs and design details: County staff said raised concrete medians would be among the least costly median types but would eliminate some on-street parking between 5th Street and Pienc/Piaud Drive and could limit access to certain parking lots and industrial areas. "There'll be, basically, no parking between 5th Street and Piaud Drive," the county engineer said, and staff reported they are meeting individually with affected property owners and businesses to address concerns.

The county will also fund a decorative, fully lit lighting system from Highway 2 to 5th Street; once installed the city would assume ownership and pay for electricity and routine maintenance. A county/city staff member, Tyler, said there is preliminary consensus between county and city staff to coordinate the lighting design so it matches adjacent work on 2nd Street.

Pedestrian and bridge work: The plan calls for a wider sidewalk on the Kingsbury Creek bridge and smoother curb alignment to reduce a noticeable bump and west-side drop-off. Staff said medians would provide pedestrian refuge so people can cross 2nd Street in two stages.

Schedule, coordination and impacts: The county said it is targeting construction in 2027 to align with MnDOT improvements on Highway 2 through town; both projects will require closures and the county plans detours using Highway 2, Boundary Avenue, Kirkus Street and Umstead. Staff emphasized phasing to minimize impacts during the school year because 2nd Street is a primary route to the school.

Longer-term work: County staff described a separate 2031 project to repave sections west of town and to repair or replace failing retaining walls; the larger program was split into two projects partly for budget and quiet-zone timing reasons.

Public input and next steps: Residents asked whether the new lighting could match a recent 2nd Street project and whether a north-side trail could be extended to Highway 2. "It'd be nice if we could have the lighting match up with what was done on 2nd Street with the new project," one resident said. Staff responded that the current sidewalk is 8 feet wide and the trail is 8
10-10 feet, and that adding width could be explored.

Staff encouraged people to subscribe on the project website for updates and said the presentation recording will be posted online; no formal vote or action was taken at the meeting. The county continues individualized outreach with businesses and property owners before final design and construction.