A road connection behind the Mini Majors section of the park will eventually take traffic past the soccer fields to 160th Street.

“The other positive impact of placing the outlet to the north is it reduces the traffic bottleneck on Nelson Avenue that is experienced during Saturday youth soccer leagues and large tournaments at Harlan Rogers,” Lori Branderhorst, the city’s recreation director, wrote in a report to the council.

To facilitate the construction of that road, the City Council on Monday bought 2.87 acres of land directly east of the Mini Majors from Van Diest Family LLC, of Webster City.

The purchase price is $14,000 per acre for a total of $40,180.

That money will come from a general obligation bond issued last year.

Councilwoman Jen Crimmins was absent from the otherwise unanimous vote to buy the land.

The Mini Majors is a section of the sports complex that has smaller versions of Yankee Stadium in New York, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago.