City of Bemidji and MnDOT staff are looking for your feedback on proposed landscaping exhibits for both the Hannah Avenue & Middle School Drive city project planned for 2025 construction and the MnDOT Paul Bunyan Drive (TH 197) project planned for 2026 construction. These exhibits are a combination of input from maintenance staff and design staff to provide a starting point that meets safety requirements, and provide a product that is maintainable after the project is complete.

A few key items of note in the landscaping design of the MnDOT project (TH 197):

• The raised medians near the proposed roundabouts and truck aprons are proposed to have a “red” colored concrete to match the same finish as the recently completed HWY 71 & Anne Street roundabout appearance completed in 2022.
• City staff proposed some landscaped areas within the center median to break up the concrete, but keep things maintainable year after year. These areas are surrounded by a 4-6 foot concrete edging to reduce the maintenance of vegetation right behind the curb & gutter.
• Trees are being proposed behind the 10 foot trails on each side of the highway. This is to keep the trees out of the snow spray and salt areas, which should hopefully increase their survival rates.
• The internal circles of the roundabouts can’t have fixed obstructions, such as, monument signs, trees, or boulders, but can have items such as shrubs, small bushes, and grasses.

A few key items of note in the landscaping design of the City project (Middle School & Hannah):

• The raised medians near the proposed roundabouts and truck aprons are proposed to be a “charcoal grey” colored concrete to differentiate from the MnDOT roundabouts.
• The 2 proposed roundabouts on Middle School Drive are large enough for a center circle area that can be landscaped. City staff are proposing a combination of trees and landscaping features within the center circles.

(Middle School Drive layout)

• The 1 proposed roundabout on Hannah Avenue is a “compact” roundabout. This means the center circle will be all concrete, as it’s designed to be driven over by large semi-trucks and trailers. Concrete color and style is all that can be discussed here.

(Hannah Avenue layout)

All in all, we are excited to hear your feedback, so please feel free to comment on the survey below!