Annapolis Reconstruction Project

Thanks to Pace’s Tire and Service Center for their support. You can check their website for the latest oil change and other specials.

West St. Paul and St. Paul are teaming up for the reconstruction of Annapolis Street between Smith Avenue and Kansas Avenue in 2023 and 2024. The last rebuild on this stretch of road came in 1966, meaning both the roadway and utilities are in need of repair and upgrade. It’s an opportunity to look at additional amenities, including sidewalks, trails, and bike lanes, as well as the dreaded six-way intersection with Annapolis, Dodd, and Charlton.

The Proposed Reconstruction Plan

The current plan is to tackle Annapolis from Smith to Robert in 2023 and from Robert to Kansas Avenue in 2024. There’s potential to add dedicated bike lanes or a trail to this stretch of Annapolis, but it would come with the loss of parking on one side of Annapolis. Most of Annapolis currently has sidewalk on both sides (though there are some gaps this project hopes to fill). The nearest east-west dedicated trail is along Wentworth Avenue.

The proposal also includes potential improvements to the Annapolis-Dodd-Charlton intersection. This six-way stop has been problematic. There are a number of options on the table to improve the intersection, including (see updates below for the latest options):

• Adding medians
• Restricting turning off Charlton
• Realigning the northern section of Charlton
• Curb bump-outs
• Relocating the stop sign from south-bound Charlton and Dodd
• Removing on-street parking near the intersection

One solution that’s not being considered? A roundabout. There’s not enough room at the intersection to accommodate a roundabout and all the necessary legs without major land acquisition. Such a solution would likely require multiple homes and El Cubano.

Community Input

One open house was already held in December and another is planned for early February. Design will continue throughout 2022 based on the input received at the open houses and the feasibility report. Then there will be a third open house to share the final design before official approval.

There’s also an online survey you can take through January 7 to give more input.

Get more information on this project from the City of West St. Paul.

Jan. 26, 2022 Update: February Open House

The second public open house is scheduled for Thursday, February 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at city hall.

Feb. 3, 2022 Update: Latest Plans

During the public open house, the City of West St. Paul shared updated plans for the Annapolis reconstruction project, including the Annapolis-Dodd-Charlton intersection. The project will close sidewalk gaps and add bike lanes. There is another online survey to give further input on the project.

There are currently three proposed options for the Annapolis-Dodd-Charlton intersection:

• All three options merge northern leg of Charlton into Dodd.
• Option A: Maintains Dodd as a through street but adds medians and limits turning from Charlton.
• Option B: Closes the southern leg of Dodd just before the intersection, creating a standard four-way intersection and forcing Dodd traffic onto Ohio.
• Option C: Turns southern leg of Dodd into Annapolis earlier, allowing for a more standard four-way intersection. A median is also added to Annapolis west of the intersection, meaning southbound traffic on Dodd will need to reroute to Ohio.

Local stories like this happen thanks to the generous support of our members. You can join them and support local news through Patreon, starting at $3 per month (pay annually and save 5%).