New Transportation Proposal Will Target 35W/494 Interchange, One of the Worst Traffic Jams in America
Dear Friends,
As residents of Richfield and Bloomington, we know how bad the I-35W/I-494 interchange is. Most of us have spent a lot of time trying to find new ways to avoid it. Would it surprise you to learn that the Federal Highway Administration to recently dubbed the interchange “the 19th-worst bottleneck in the nation”? Designed in the 1950s with few changes or improvements since, 290,000 vehicles pass slowly through the severely congested interchange every day. That’s nearly one-fifth of all daily traffic in the Twin Cities Metro Area.
It’s taken years of study, but the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is finally prepared to restructure and repair the 35W/494 interchange – but it won’t happen anytime soon unless we figure out a way to pay for it and other road projects on a lengthy waiting list. Last week Governor Dayton detailed what backlogged projects we would see action on if the investments he has proposed were to pass. The 35W/494 interchange would get improvements to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and improve access to convenient transit alternatives. The proposal would also create a new MnPASS lane on either I-494 or Highway 62 to relieve congestion in the area, and improve transit options in the area by taking more cars off the road to reduce congestion.
These improvements will not be possible without significant new state funding. Without this, MnDOT expects the congestion problem will only get worse. By 2040, an estimated 800,000 new residents are expected in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The list of roads and bridges that will be at the end of their useful lifespans by then or on the “fracture critical” list is frightening. The Governor has proposed to invest new funds over the next ten years to address the state’s highway funding deficit and without them, road and bridge conditions across Minnesota will only continue to get worse.
We all, individuals and businesses, benefit from a safe, sounds, multimodal transportation system. I am honored to serve Richfield and Bloomington and will continue to work for transportation solutions for our communities. Please feel free to contact me at 651-296-7158 or rep.linda.slocum@house.mn.
Cheers,
Linda