I-94 Fish Lake System Interchange Study

MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
I-94 Fish Lake System Interchange Study
Scope of Work
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
Contents
Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
Project Background .................................................................................................................................. 5
Schedule ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Standards ...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Format of Deliverables ............................................................................................................................. 7
Plain Language .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Accessibility Standards ............................................................................................................................. 7
1. Project Management ............................................................................................................................ 8
1.1 Project Administration ................................................................................................................ 8
1.2 Quality Management ................................................................................................................... 9
1.3 Schedule ...................................................................................................................................... 9
1.4 Agency Engagement .................................................................................................................... 9
1.5 Tribal Government Coordination .............................................................................................. 11
1.6 Deliverables ............................................................................................................................... 11
2. Background and Context .................................................................................................................... 11
2.1 Studies, Plans, Guidance and Documentation .......................................................................... 11
2.2 Context ...................................................................................................................................... 13
2.3 Roadway Characteristics............................................................................................................ 13
2.4 Deliverables ............................................................................................................................... 14
3. Existing and Future Conditions........................................................................................................... 14
3.1 Transportation Safety ................................................................................................................ 14
3.2 Asset Management .................................................................................................................... 15
3.3 Environmental Screening Risk Assessment ............................................................................... 16
3.4 Climate Action and Resiliency ................................................................................................... 18
3.5 Motor Vehicles and Freight ....................................................................................................... 18
3.6 Pedestrian, Bicycle and Transit Connectivity............................................................................. 20
3.7 Livability Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 20
3.8 Tribal Government Coordination .............................................................................................. 20
3.9 Study Needs ............................................................................................................................... 21
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
3.10 Evaluation Criteria ..................................................................................................................... 21
3.11 Agency Coordination ................................................................................................................. 22
3.12 Deliverables ............................................................................................................................... 22
4. Alternatives Evaluation ...................................................................................................................... 22
4.1 Required Considerations ........................................................................................................... 22
4.2 Long Term Concept Development ............................................................................................. 23
4.3 Long Term Concept Screening ................................................................................................... 23
4.4 Near Term Alternatives Development ....................................................................................... 24
4.5 Traffic Modeling ........................................................................................................................ 24
4.6 Near Term Alternatives Screening ............................................................................................. 24
4.7 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Screening ............................................................................................. 25
4.8 Agency-Supported Alternative .................................................................................................. 25
4.9 Environmental Decision Tree Document ................................................................................... 25
4.10 Corridors of Commerce Capital Construction Application ........................................................ 25
4.11 Final Study Report ..................................................................................................................... 25
4.12 Deliverables ............................................................................................................................... 26
5. Environmental Study .......................................................................................................................... 27
5.1 Standards and Guidance ............................................................................................................ 27
5.2 Emissions and VMT Impact Assessment and Offset Plan Procedure ........................................ 27
5.3 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (Source Type 1071) ................................................ 28
5.4 Interstate Access Modification Request (IAMR) (Source Code 1017) ....................................... 38
5.5 Minnesota Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) ........................................................................... 39
6. Preliminary Design ............................................................................................................................. 40
6.1 Standards and Guidance ............................................................................................................ 40
6.2 Refine Preferred Alternative ..................................................................................................... 41
6.3 Preliminary Geometric Layout and Profile ................................................................................ 41
6.4 Value Engineering Study ............................................................................................................ 42
6.5 Metro District Layout Approval Committee Reviews ................................................................ 42
6.6 State Geometric Design Support Unit (GDSU) Reviews ............................................................ 42
6.7 FHWA Preliminary Layout Coordination.................................................................................... 42
6.8 Signed Geometric Layout .......................................................................................................... 42
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
6.9 Municipal Consent Process ........................................................................................................ 42
6.10 Deliverables ............................................................................................................................... 43
7. Public Engagement ............................................................................................................................. 43
7.1 Engagement and communications kickoff and check-in meetings ........................................... 43
7.2 Public Engagement Plan ............................................................................................................ 44
7.3 Public and Business Identification and Comment Databases ................................................... 44
7.4 Public and business engagement activities ............................................................................... 45
7.5 Government affairs/local official briefings ................................................................................ 46
7.6 Public Meetings ......................................................................................................................... 46
7.7 Online surveys/comment forms ................................................................................................ 47
7.8 Official comment periods .......................................................................................................... 47
7.9 Outreach events ........................................................................................................................ 48
7.10 Webpage .................................................................................................................................... 48
7.11 Email messages .......................................................................................................................... 49
7.12 Targeted postcard mailer .......................................................................................................... 49
7.13 News and media relations ......................................................................................................... 49
7.14 Communication toolkits ............................................................................................................ 50
7.15 Digital advertising and social media .......................................................................................... 50
7.16 Language translation and interpretation of materials .............................................................. 50
7.17 Engagement and communication content standards ............................................................... 50
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
Overview
State is seeking a qualified Contractor to lead the planning and development of improvements at the
Interstate (I)-94, I-94/I-694, I-494 system interchange (commonly known as the Fish Lake Interchange) in
the City of Maple Grove.
This work is being undertaken in partnership with the City of Maple Grove (City) and includes
collaboration with the I-94 West Corridor Coalition, Hennepin County, Metropolitan Council (Met
Council), neighboring cities, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This study is funded by
the Minnesota Department of Transportation's (MnDOT) Corridors of Commerce (CoC) Readiness
Advancement grant program.
Phases 1 and 2 of this scope of work will result in a Long Term planning vision and a Near Term agency-
supported alternative that is consistent with that vision, forming the basis of a competitive application
to the Corridors of Commerce Capital Construction funding program. Should this application be
successful, this contract will be amended to progress to Phases 3 and 4 for state and federal
environmental reviews and preliminary design.
Major tasks include: establishing existing and future conditions; identifying Study Needs; traffic
forecasting and macro- and micro-simulation modeling; developing and screening alternatives to
identify an agency-supported alternative that meets those needs; greenhouse gas and offset analysis;
state and federal environmental reviews; and preliminary design. Supporting tasks include Task 1 Project
Management and Task 7 Public Engagement, which are continuous throughout this scope of work.
Contractor will coordinate with the State to undertake these tasks in up to four phases:
Phase 1 (Tasks 2-3): Background and Context and Existing and Future Conditions
Phase 2 (Task 4): Alternatives Evaluation: Identification, refinement and evaluation of concepts for a
Long Term vision and alternatives for a Near Term project that is compatible with the long term
concept(s) to yield an agency-supported alternative.
Phase 3 (Task 5): Environmental Study: Federal and State environmental reviews of the Near Term
agency-supported alternative, other screened alternatives and additional supporting analysis.
Phase 4 (Task 6): Preliminary Design to produce a signed layout of the Preferred Alternative.
Proposals should include separate fee structures and reports for Phases 1 and 2, and Phases 3 and 4.
Contractor must obtain written approval of the State before expending billable hours and incurring
reimbursable direct expenses on Phase 3 and 4 tasks.
Project Background
The I-94 Fish Lake Interchange is a system-to-system interchange within the Twin Cities Metro regional
highway network that is critical to mobility and commerce within the region, state and Upper Midwest.
A long-known deficiency of this interchange's configuration involves a four- to three-lane center merge
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
in the westbound direction, which creates congestion and safety issues. Safety concerns and congestion
also exist on western I-94/I-694 and southern I-494 legs of the system interchange.
In 2020, the Metropolitan Council partnered with State to produce the Freeway System Interchange
Study, which studied 56 Twin Cities freeway-to-freeway interchange locations. The Fish Lake
Interchange was identified as one of 17 locations where further planning effort was merited, and 11
initial solution concepts were identified. Therefore, this scope of work anticipates that alternatives
development and screening will include these 11 solution concepts, as well as others that may be
derived from State facility design guidance and industry best practices, with the potential to meet the
study needs in the Long Term. Near Term alternatives should be low-cost/high-benefit in nature and
competitive with respect to criteria of the Corridors of Commerce Capital Construction program.
The study area of alternatives to be developed and evaluated are between the Fish Lake system
interchange and the following system/local interchanges: Maple Grove Parkway to the west, US 169 to
the east, and Bass Lake Road to the south. Traffic modeling limits will extend beyond the study area to
assess potential system impacts of the Near Term alternative within the I-94 Fish Lake interchange.
Studies, plans and policies influencing this corridor study include but are not limited to:
a. Metropolitan Council Freeway System Interchange Study.
b. Metropolitan Council 2050 Transportation Policy Plan, including the identification of this study
corridor as a potential managed lane corridor.
c. Met Council Congestion Management Process guidance pilot, currently ongoing at Fish Lake
interchange.
d. Met Council socioeconomic and demographic data for past and future growth and development
in cities adjacent to project area.
e. I-94 Gap Project in Albertville/St. Michael.
f. Hwy 610 Completion Project and Rush Creek Blvd ramps in Maple Grove.
g. MnDOT Managed Lane (E-ZPass) System Planning Study, anticipated to begin late 2026.
h. MnDOT Highway 252 and I-94 Environmental Impact Statement.
i. MnDOT I-694 Corridor Planning Study from Brooklyn Blvd to Lexington Ave. under way.
j. MnDOT Northwest Metro Mississippi River Crossing Feasibility Analysis.
k. I-94 West Corridor Coalition initiatives.
Schedule
The anticipated contract duration is 12-18 months for Phases 1 and 2. Phases 3 and 4 will proceed if the
application to the Corridors of Commerce Capital Construction program for as early as 2029-2030 is
successful. Phases 3 and 4 would then be added as a contract amendment, but proposals should include
all four phases of this study. Phases 3 and 4 are expected to last up to 12 months, completed at the
earliest date of December 30, 2028. Contractor is to assume up to half of billable hours within this scope
will be dedicated to Phase 3 and Phase 4.
Standards
Contractor will comply with all applicable state, federal, and local standards, laws and regulations
related to the scope of work and project area. Contractor must provide deliverables consistent with
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
State's style guide and work must comply with the current editions or revisions of these standards that
are in effect on the proposal due date.
Format of Deliverables
All deliverables must be provided in electronic file format, transferred by Email, Microsoft Sharepoint or
File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and compliant with the following:
a. Report source files must be in current versions of Microsoft Suite, including Word, Excel, and
PowerPoint.
b. Computer-Aided Design (CADD) deliverable source files must meet the State's Level 2 Enhanced
CADD Data Delivery Specifications.
c. All applicable spatial data and maps created in Geographic Information System (GIS) software
must be provided in standard formats that are compatible with current versions of ArcGIS
software.
d. All source files also must be converted to Adobe Acrobat (.pdf extension), and the Portable
Document Format (PDF) must be searchable, with scanned pages eliminated except for
signature pages.
* Traffic modeling will conform to the current State Modeling Guidelines and CORridor SIMulation
(CORSIM) Calibration Parameters:
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/trafficeng/modeling/modelreq.html and will conform to the
modeling process outlined in the current Advanced CORSIM Training Manual available here:
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/trafficeng/modeling/training.html.
e. Conceptual geometric layout and preliminary geometric layouts and profiles, PDF
f. Microstation files to meet state drafting guidelines: Design file (DGN)
Plain Language
Provide all documents or exhibits specifically designed to be used by the public in "Plain Language".
Technical documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and drawings used by technical staff do not need to
be in plain language. Executive Order 14-07 requires the Office of the Governor and all Executive Branch
agencies to communicate with Minnesotans using Plain Language. As defined in Executive Order 14-07,
Plain Language is a communication which an audience can understand the first time they read or hear it.
Additional information can be read at this website:
http://ihub.dot.state.mn.us/plainlanguage/index.html. To achieve that, the successful responder will
take the following steps in the deliverables:
a. Use language commonly understood by the public
b. Write in short and complete sentences
c. Present information in a format that is easy-to-find and easy-to-understand
d. Clearly state directions and deadlines to the audience.
Accessibility Standards
Comply with the State of Minnesota's Accessibility Standard for all documents or exhibits specifically
designed to be used by the public. Technical documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and drawings
used by technical staff do not need to comply with State's Accessibility Standard. The State of
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
Minnesota's Accessibility Standards entail, in part, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
(Level AA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended. Additional requirements can be found
at this website: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ada/accommodation.html and include:
a. Providing interpreters, translators or other special accommodations
b. Providing documents in an alternative format
c. Following the PDF accessibility guidance
Compliance with the State of Minnesota's Accessibility Standard includes, but is not limited to, the
specific requirements as follows:
a. All videos must include closed captions, audio descriptions and a link to a complete transcript
b. All documents, presentations, spreadsheets, drawings, and other material must be provided in
an accessible format and native files provided in an editable format. Acceptable formats include
InDesign, Word and Excel
c. All materials intended for downloading and printing such as promotional brochures, must be
labeled as such and the content must additionally be provided in an accessible format
1. Project Management
This task includes the management and agency coordination activities necessary to administer and carry
out the scope of work and produce acceptable deliverables on time and within budget for all phases of
this scope of work. The Contractor is responsible for the overall administration of the study and project,
which includes but is not limited to:
1.1 Project Administration
Contractor is responsible for overall administration of the project, which includes but is not limited to:
a. Consultant team supervision and coordination.
b. A project log or rolling issue tracking spreadsheet shared with State and City that describes
issues, information needed, responsible parties, decisions and discussions of issues affecting the
work.
c. Weekly 30-minute check-in status meetings with the State Project Manager (PM) as needed and
combined twice-monthly status meetings with City as needed. Not to exceed 100 meetings.
d. Monthly invoices via email, including progress report with cost and percent complete by major
task for the month and to-date, as well as any subconsultant and direct expenses. Includes a
monthly discussion with the State Project Manager to review invoices.
Coordination with government agencies on miscellaneous topics, including meetings and
correspondence with State, County, City(ies), Metropolitan Council, and other agencies and
partners as needed and/or directed. Contractor will include Project Manager on all project-
related email correspondence. Assume up to 30 1-hour meetings. Prepare draft meeting
summaries no later than five business days after notable meetings (defined by PM) and a final
version submitted no later than five business days after receiving comments on summary notes.
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
e. Quality controls for all deliverables and supporting planning activities to assure consistency with
applicable State and federal guidance for transportation planning and environmental
documentation, as well as transportation planning best practices.
f. All other work to complete project tasks on time and within budget.
g. Store and share with State and City work products and deliverables via an online electronic
document management system (e.g., SharePoint) hosted by the Contractor, as well as final
deliverables and contract documents on the State ProjectWise system.
1.2 Quality Management
Contractor will submit within 20 business days of contract execution a Quality Management Plan (QMP)
describing the processes, staff responsibilities, reviews of deliverables, conflict resolution steps, and
other activities to meet State expectations and fulfill project goals. Contractor will designate staff to
perform quality control (QC) reviews of all deliverables; document their reviews and internal approvals
prior to submittal to State; and coordinate audit of the QC process(es) if requested.
1.3 Schedule
Contractor will develop and maintain the study schedule that documents all agency technical
engagement such as review periods, concurrence points, etc. An Excel file in Gantt chart format is
preferred. This schedule will span all phases of this scope. Phases 1 and 2 are anticipated to span 12 -18
months, and Phases 3 and 4 should span 12 months..
The schedule should accommodate a potential fall 2027 Corridors of Commerce Capital Construction
application submittal date and preceding preparation time, subject to appropriation by the State of
Minnesota Legislature in the 2027 session, for construction in fiscal years 2029 or 2030.
The schedule should be a "living document" based on mutually agreed-upon dates that may be subject
to change. The schedule is the primary tool for setting the dates of meetings and submission of
deliverables.
The Contractor will propose a draft project schedule within 15 business days of notice to proceed for
presentation at the Project Management Team kickoff meeting. The schedule will describe review
periods for deliverables. State and City review of Contractor deliverables are assumed to be no more
than two calendar weeks and no less than five business days unless otherwise agreed upon. Review
durations of environmental documents by other agencies will be agreed upon with those agencies at the
time of submission.
1.4 Agency Engagement
1.4.1 Expectations
Contractor will schedule and prepare agendas at least two day in advance of Technical Advisory
Committee (TAC), Project Management Team (PMT) and other important meetings, distribute
meeting minutes within two days of TAC, PMT and other important meetings, develop attendee
lists, and facilitate meetings as necessary. Other public and agency engagement expectations
can be found within each task.
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MnDOT Contract No. 1063371
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties and Scope of Work
1.4.2 Project Management Team
Contractor will facilitate the work of a core group of State, City and Consultant staff, and
possibly other stakeholders and agency representatives. Most meetings will be held virtually,
but certain topics may necessitate hybrid meetings. This task will include:
1.4.2.1 PMT Meetings
The contractor will facilitate PMT meetings during the study. The PMT is expected to include
numerous State functional areas, city staff and possibly other agencies. Contractor will
schedule, prepare materials for and conduct up to 30, one-hour, monthly PMT meetings.
Contractor duties include preparation of agendas and presentations, meeting facilitation,
issue/task follow-up, and a summary of outcomes (distributed within five business days).
1.4.2.2 PMT Kick-off Meeting
The Contractor will schedule and facilitate a project kickoff meeting to confirm the basic
project objectives, solidify a work plan, communicate expectations, distribute a member list
and obtain consensus on the study requirements. This meeting must occur no later than 30
business days after notice to proceed.
1.4.3 TAC
The contractor will facilitate TAC meetings during the study. The TAC is expected to include staff
from State, City, the I-94 West Coalition, Hennepin County, Met Council and possibly other
stakeholders. The majority of these meetings will be held virtually every other month for 1.5
hours as needed (cancellation determined by State and City) for the duration of all project
phases - up to 15 meetings.
The purpose of the TAC will be to provide State with support and focus on planning level
decisions. Contractor duties include preparation of agendas and presentations, meeting
facilitation, follow-up, and a summary of outcomes (distributed within five business days).
1.4.4 Environmental Review Agency Coordination
Contractor will support coordination with environmental review stakeholder agencies. Agencies
will be designated by State, and typically include those that review and contribute to the State
Early Notification Memo for the Metro District. Contractor should propose the number, format
and frequency of agency coordination meetings. Agency coordination should begin during or
before Task 3: Existing and Future Conditions to help prepare these agencies for their
participation in subsequent state and environmental reviews.
Contractor will prepare and facilitate an Environmental Agencies Kick-off Workshop that will
include Federal, State and local entities in Phase 1. The workshop will focus on environmental
document type, process concurrence points, project purpose and need, alternative evaluation
criteria, preliminary alternatives, environmental and engineering issues relevant to the study
area.
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