February 5, 2018
Commissioner Charles Zelle
Minnesota Department of Transportation
395 John Ireland Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Dear Commissioner Zelle,
Today, we write as the legislative delegation for the 494 Corridor Commission cities (Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, and Richfield) in support of the City of Bloomington’s application for Corridors of Commerce funding for the 35W/494 Interchange.
Reconstruction of the I-494/I-35W Interchange is the Commission’s number one priority. The cloverleaf interchange is the busiest in Minnesota and has been ranked 17th worst commute in the entire nation. Twenty-one percent of metro jobs are served by this interchange, which provides access to MSP International Airport and the Mall of America. Only minor design enhancements have occurred since its construction in the 1950s, while the increase in traffic and jobs in the area have skyrocketed.
Preliminary layout and engineering work have already been completed on the 35W/494 Interchange. Furthermore, value engineering work has resulted in an efficient design that allows phased construction to maximize benefits and minimize cost. If the project moves forward soon, construction can be coordinated with the Orange Line BRT, minimizing hassle for hundreds of thousands of people who use the interchange.
We understand that MnDOT faces the difficult task of choosing between many urgently needed transportation projects. Improvements to the 35W/494 interchange would benefit hundreds of thousands of commuters, reduce the high crash frequencies, and improve distribution of goods along a highly utilized freight corridor. We urge you to prioritize this project of statewide significance as you are making funding decisions. If you have questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
Senator Melissa H. Wiklund Representative Paul Rosenthal
District 50 District 49B
Senator Steve Cwodzinksi Representative Linda Slocum
District 48 District 50A
Representative Andrew Carlson
Senator Melisa Franzen District 50B
District 49
Representative Jon Applebaum
Senator Patricia Torres Ray District 44B
District 63
Representative Laurie Pryor
District 48A
Senator Paul T. Anderson
District 44
Representative Jenifer Loon
District 48B
Representative Dario Anselmo
District 49A
Representative Jean Wagenius
District 63B