Dear Neighbors,
Major road improvements in Bloomington were announced this morning! MnDOT (Minnesota Department of Transportation) will add MnPASS lanes to portions of 494 near 35W to help traffic flow during rush hour. The 494/35W interchange will also receive some major upgrades. Like any major construction project, it will take time to finalize the details, but the bottom line is improvements are on the way. Here are more detailed descriptions for two of the projects from MnDOT.
Highway 494, France Avenue to Highway 77 – estimate up to $134 million
This project will construct a MnPASS lane on Interstate 494 from France Avenue to Highway 77 in the eastbound direction and a MnPASS lane from Highway 77 to I-35W in the westbound direction. The proposed project is intended to improve the capacity of the interstate and dramatically improve the reliability of the average rush hour trip.
Highway 494, Bush Lake Road to Interstate 35W – estimate up to $70 million
This project will construct the first phase of a turbine interchange that includes a directional ramp for northbound I-35W to westbound I-494 traffic. The proposed project is intended to improve interstate capacity and reduce crashes. For more details on the ‘turbine interchange’ click here.
I will keep you posted on any developments, but this is a major leap forward. Policymakers and engineers have been considering different solutions for over 15 years. Today’s announcement is the biggest step forward that I have seen. If you have any questions please let me know.
Sincerely,
Andrew Carlson
State Representative