Washington County transportation officials are planning nearly $9 million in improvements, including a roundabout and a new trail, to a portion of Ideal Avenue in Oakdale and Lake Elmo.

Plans call for a half-mile of Ideal Avenue (Washington County 13) from Stillwater Boulevard to 34th Street North to be reconstructed in 2029.

One of the major changes being proposed is to replace the all-way stops at the intersection of Stillwater Boulevard and Ideal Avenue with a roundabout, said Andrew Giesen, design engineer for Washington County.

“In the morning and afternoon, during rush hour, we are seeing a lot of delays at that intersection, so that would help improve efficiencies there,” he said.

Plans also call for dedicated turn lanes at the intersections of 31st, 32nd and 34th streets, and a new, wider trail to be added on the east side of the roadway. The existing trail on the west side of the highway also will be reconstructed.

The trail connects neighborhoods in the area to nearby businesses including a Target store, so we “do see a lot of people, walking or using that trail,” he said.

Ideal Avenue has a traffic count of 7,000 vehicles a day in that area, Giesen said, and they anticipate that number will rise as the area’s population continues to grow.

Officials are working on finalizing the recommended or preferred design this fall and then will be moving on to final design and property acquisition over the next few years, he said.

There is a Union Pacific railroad crossing in the project area — between 31st and 32nd streets — and planners will be working closely with the railroad officials on the reconstruction of that section, Giesen said.

The public is invited to attend an open house for the project from 4-6 p.m. Sept. 24 at Oakdale Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Ave. N., in Oakdale.

People unable to attend the in-person open house can review the materials on the project website, WashingtonCountyMN.gov/IdealAve, from Sept. 24-Oct. 8; there will be no formal presentation or discussion during the online engagement.

For questions, contact Giesen at Andrew.Giesen@WashingtonCountyMN.gov or 651-430-4336.