Transportion = Streets and Highways and Rail

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Interstate 35WEntering Burnsville on Interstate 35W. Year 1998.

Nicollet Avenue and Highway 13 - 2020 photoA view from Nicollet Avenue showing Highway 13 and Minneapolis in the background.

Burnsville Parkway signsThese were discovered at Haupt Antiek Market in Apple Valley, June 2020.

Intersection of Highway 13 and Nicollet AvenueA view of Highway 13 and Nicollet Avenue.

Nicollet and 13 is key concern for Burnsville 2020Burnsville Eagan Sun/Thisweek News February 14, 2020:

The safety of pedestrians and bikers crossing Highway 13 at Nicollet Avenue is a top priority for Burnsville in a new study underway of the congested state highway...

Petition to create Highway 13Hastings Gazette - February 15, 1913 references a petition being circulated for a state rural highway, which will become Highway 13.

Seeks bids on Lyndale RepairFeb. 22, 1952 Dakota County Tribune

Repair to the upper Lyndale Road in the Orchard Gardens area has been called for by the state highway department...

Orchard Gardens StationA drawing by June Dillie of Orchard Gardens Station, County Road 5.

Interstate 35 E and County Road 42The Interstate 35E bridge over County Road 42 in 1980.

City Asks Xcel to Pay for Improvements on Black Dog RoadSept 2011 -

No matter the time of the year, Rachel Waldhoff of Burnsville can most likely be found during the weekend on Burnsville’s Black Dog Road.

“It’s so peaceful here, we come to watch the birds,” she said while standing on the closed Black Dog Road wood-frame bridge, which on that day provided a great view of hundreds of egrets spending time on Black Dog Lake.

The area is popular for birders and anglers hoping for a catch. But due to structural issues and persistent flooding, the bridge was closed and vehicle access to the area is limited.

That’s all about to change. Burnsville could be the beneficiary of several improvements to public infrastructure paid for by Xcel Energy to enhance access to its Black Dog plant, as it undergoes a $600 million changeover from coal to combined-cycle power production.

Cause and effect
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The Black Dog Road West Bridge, as it is formally known, was built in 1956, but it is no longer safe for traffic. Currently, the only access to Black Dog Road is off Nichols Road in Eagan, but that portion of the road is also prone to flooding. Over the course of the past two years, the east access point was closed a total of 12 weeks due to high water.

The bridge closure may be an inconvenience for nature lovers like Waldhoff, but it’s a major logistics problem for Xcel: Trucks carrying ash from the plant are forced to use residential streets. As activity increases when plant construction begins, the company would like the Black Dog west access open.

The Burnsville City Council Sept. 20 adopted a resolution recommending construction of a new $588,000 concrete bridge to replace the old structure. Although the city is choosing the bridge design and specifications, the project won’t be moving through the normal approval channels. The city is in negotiations with the Xcel to pick up the tab for the improvements. Once finalized, plans will come again before the city council for approval, but the bid process has construction to begin in the winter of 2012. The proposed bridge will accommodate two-way traffic and a future pedestrian trail. Eventually, when the repowering project is complete, the west portion of Black Dog Road could be rehabilitated.

Relief from the rumble of heavy vehicles could also coming to the Burnsville and Eagan neighborhoods. At present, Xcel utilizes Black Dog Park and local residential streets to access the plant.

The council accepted a feasibility study and set a public hearing for Nov. 22 to review plans for a new $5.52 million year-round access created by extending 12th Avenue through Black Dog Park, which would redirect the plant's traffic away from more densely peopled neighborhoods. Negotiations have Xcel paying a portion of the extension.

“I do believe the taxpayers of Burnsville have been extremely well-represented” through the process, City Councilmember Dan Kealey said.

He called the park one of the city’s “hidden assets” that will be uncovered, once access improves. “It’s going to be one of the most picturesque parks in the city when this is done.”

A copy of the report is available for viewing in the City of Burnsville Public Works and Engineering Department.

Nicollet Avenue construction2012 Nicollet Avenue road work.

Dedication of new bridge at County Road 5 and Highway 13Dedication of the new bridge at County Road 5 and Highway 13, 2014.

Nicollet AvenueBanners on Nicollet Avenue, winter 2020.

Dakota County Snow Removal2019 - Dakota County snow plowing.

Nicollet Avenue, Burnsville Parkway looking toward Highway 13Nicollet Avenue, looking toward Highway 13, year 2020.

Cliff Road and railroad tracksCliff Road, the railroad tracks 2020.

County Road 42County Road 42 and Nicollet Avenue near 35 E. photo October 2020.

County Road 5 BridgeThe County Road 5 bridge looking toward Savage. Photo Burnsville Historical Society.

Highway 13 and Interstate 35WAerial view of Highway 13 and Interstate 35W in 2020.

Highway 13Highway 13 sign across from the Burnsville High School.

Racks Sports Bar and GrillIntersection Highway 13 and Cliff Road photographed from Racks Sports Bar and Grill 2020.

Interstate 35 W and Highway 13No detour today, September 2020 Interstate 35W and Highway 13.

County Road 11Co. Rd. 11, summer 2020.

New signage in River HillsOctober 2020 - the names of the streets remain the same, but new signs in River Hills including Galtier and Selkirk Drives.

Judicial Road 2021Judicial Road at St. John the Baptist Cemetery.

Nicollet Avenue, winter 2022December 2022 winter view of Nicollet Avenue, in the Heart of the City. Photo compliments of the City of Burnsville.

Nicollet Avenue near Highway 13August 2022 - The newly built Gallery on Nicollet opens on the corner of Nicollet Avenue and Highway 13.

Highway 13 at Interstate 35WMay 2023 - the ramp at Interstate 35W heading north and Highway 13. At one time you could see Howard Johnson's near this corner.

HIghway 13, Travelers Trail, Nicollet AvenueMay 2023 the corner of Highway 13 and Nicollet Avenue with the latest apartment complex.

Nicollet Avenue and Highway 13May 2023 view of Highway 13 and Nicollet Avenue, entering the Heart of the City. Photo Burnsville Historical Society.

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