Street, Road and Highway Projects

[COLSLAW5]

Does Anyone know why they have been installing gate arms on the on ramps to 94. I noticed them on the east bound on ramps off hennepin and not they are on the west bound on ramp at Vandalia in st paul

[seanrichardryan]

I've been wondering the same thing. They appear to be manually operated, so maybe not 'security' infrastructure, such as quickly closing the freeway due to an emergency. Cursory search through their design standards didn't get any hits.

[commissioner]

I'm pretty sure they use them outstate to close whatever road they are on in the winter, but why they have them in the Twin Cities baffles me.

[COLSLAW5]

Mndot got back to me and said they were looking to install these "for a couple of years" they are being installed for "namely for incident management purposes along the I-94 corridor"

Although there was a major crash blocking the vandalia on ramp today and they did not use them

[Tom H.]

I'm going to guess that "incident management" is euphemistic for protesters on the freeway, not weather / crash related access management.

[COLSLAW5]

Lol yea that is how I interpreted it too

[commissioner]

I can see them being used if there was a big crash or major disaster/demonstration. I've lived here since 2000 and don't remember any freeway in the metro ever being shut down for weather.

[DanPatchToget]

Would they be used if the freeway is flooded? The only time I can recall a freeway in our region being flooded is 494 in Bloomington in 1987, possibly also 35W across the Minnesota River in 1965, but if we get a higher frequency of heavy rainfall events then it could make a flooded freeway more likely.

[commissioner]

IIRC 35W used to flood a couple times around Diamond Lake Road, but that was before they redid that interchange, I can't remember if it was a standalone project or if it was part of the 35W-62 project.

[mamundsen]

Highway 36 Roseville to Maplewood survey closes today.

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/proje ... index.html

[gopherfan]

On-ramp gate arms have also been installed from University Ave to 35W bridge... it seems like all the locations where they've had previous protestor problems.

[Tcmetro]

MnDot has concluded their 35W North Gateway study:

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/proje ... index.html

Through an extensive technical analysis, it became apparent that several of the key metrics needed to be re-evaluated post COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of continuing with the study process, the project team decided to document the current work in a report. The report will be used to inform future area projects, though nothing has been scheduled for construction at this time.

...

Anticipated upcoming projects that will build on the I-35W North Gateway study include:

• Studying long-range Hwy 36 improvements in Roseville, Little Canada and Maplewood for people traveling by vehicle or hauling freight, as well as those crossing the highway on foot or by bicycle
• Increasing the functionality of University Ave. and SE 4th St. from Central Ave. to I-35W
• Reconstructing all bridges within the I-35W North Gateway study limits by 2040. This includes redesigning the space for vehicles and people walking and bicycling to provide consistently safe and comfortable crossings of I-35W
• University Ave. and SE 4th St. over I-35W in Minneapolis will be the first bridges to be reconstructed

[seanrichardryan]

wtf do you think they're getting at here-
"Increasing the functionality of University Ave. and SE 4th St. from Central Ave. to I-35W"

[daveybabymsp]

wtf do you think they're getting at here-
"Increasing the functionality of University Ave. and SE 4th St. from Central Ave. to I-35W"

That line made me nervous - is that a euphemism for personal vehicle flow/capacity?


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[Tcmetro]

Isn't the county leading a redesign project for University & SE 4th St? Hopefully it means making the interchange at 35W safer.

[Silophant]

The county is rebuilding University and 4th from 35W to Oak next summer. Here's the layout. University is only a state highway north/west of Central, so I guess it's the city's responsibility between Central and 35W? Though, I think bridges over interstates are the state's responsibility no matter who owns the street.

[grant1simons2]

The 2 way layout on University

I have emails from 8 years ago discussing these changes. It will be 9 years by the time it will be built. Crazy.

[Eoin_Urban]

The 77th St underpass in Richfield underneath Hwy 77 appears open.

[Mdcastle]

2022 Corridors of Commerce projects announced.

https://www.roadsbridges.com/funding/ne ... e-projects

The projects receiving funding in 2023 include:

TH 13, Savage/Burnsville – Grade separations from Quentin to Nicollet Aves: $96,000,000
I-94, Albertville to Monticello – Lane expansion: $78,000,000
TH 14/CSAH 44, Byron – Construct a grade separation: $60,000,000
TH 371/TH 210, Baxter – Construct a grade separation: $58,000,000
TH 23/MN 9, New London – Construct a grade separation: $33,000,000
TH 65, Blaine – Grade separations from 103rd to 117th Aves: $30,000,000
TH 53, Eveleth to Virginia – Roadway improvements: $18,000,000
TH 10, Coon Rapids – Lane expansion from CSAH 78 to CSAH 9: $8,000,000

The CSAH 44 project is really closer to Rochester, and Google Maps has it labled is 104 in error. The TH 53 project is building a roundbout at Progress Drive and a new backage road on the east side in Eveleth, where they're building a new consolidated high school deep in the woods to replace aging facilities in the downtown areas. RCUT intersections seem to be more popular with engineers and bean counters than the people that actually have to drive them, and the area residents previously got a state law passed to prohibit MnDOT from building an RCUT at 23 and 9.

[BoredAgain]

RCUT intersections seem to be more popular with engineers and bean counters than the people that actually have to drive them, and the area residents previously got a state law passed to prohibit MnDOT from building an RCUT at 23 and 9.

In this case, when you say "engineers and bean counters", what you meant to say was "people that are trying to avoid deadly collisions from dangerous crossings of high speed roads".