MN Highway 100

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
mattaudio
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MN Highway 100

Postby mattaudio » August 7th, 2012, 11:20 am

Hwy 100 through St. Louis Park is expected to be upgraded to modern freeway standards starting in a couple years...
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projec ... ncepts.pdf

I'm surprised they don't extend the aux lanes to the 394 exit/entrance, so that there's four through lanes from 394 to Hwy 7. It seems like a lot of people use Hwy 7 to 100 then cut to 394 to get Downtown.

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby fehler » August 7th, 2012, 12:01 pm

Isn't this the section that Molneau implemented her "shoulder lanes" to increase capacity without putting real money into it? How has that held up, 10 years later?

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby nordeast homer » August 7th, 2012, 1:39 pm

Isn't this the section that Molneau implemented her "shoulder lanes" to increase capacity without putting real money into it? How has that held up, 10 years later?
As someone who drives this stretch every day I think it's still a bit better than it was, but that can change on a day to day basis. I still cringe when I drive under some of those bridges; there are so many hunks of concrete missing, I'm just waiting for one to drop on my car.

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby mplsjaromir » August 7th, 2012, 3:23 pm

Isn't this the section that Molneau implemented her "shoulder lanes" to increase capacity without putting real money into it? How has that held up, 10 years later?
As someone who drives this stretch every day I think it's still a bit better than it was, but that can change on a day to day basis. I still cringe when I drive under some of those bridges; there are so many hunks of concrete missing, I'm just waiting for one to drop on my car.
A bridge for rural Wisconsin is apparently more important or has more photo opportunities for politicians.

mattaudio
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Re: Hwy 100

Postby mattaudio » August 7th, 2012, 3:35 pm

Or a new outside-the-beltway freeway that is conveniently near land owned by the commissioner!

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby seanrichardryan » December 4th, 2012, 9:16 am

SLP approved 50 million for bridge replacement to get the ball rolling on this upgrade. Should begin in 2014 and be complete by 2016.
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mattaudio
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Re: Hwy 100

Postby mattaudio » December 4th, 2012, 9:50 am

I wish the planned interchange at Hwys 7 and 100 would do a little bit more to distinguish the difference between the east and west side. On the west side, MnDOT and SLP have been upgrading Hwy 7 to a mini-freeway (which likely has a lot of people connecting to 394 to finish their route downtown).

On the east side, Lake Street Extension is sort of an arterial connecting to Lake in Minneapolis, but also sort of an opportunity to take a wide highway right of way with frontage roads and build the framework for more urban development.

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby twincitizen » December 4th, 2012, 10:05 am

Or my wild idea:

Entirely eliminate Hwy 7. east of Hwy. 100. Reconfigure the interchange to acknowledge that most people are going north on 100 to 394 with a flyover + aux lane.

Without Hwy. 7 going through that part of SLP, all of the north-south streets can be reconnected in a standard grid pattern. Tons of land in a very high-demand area could be developed and put back on the tax rolls (and TIF it out to pay for the road reconfiguration). That silly braid intersection with Lake Street can go away, and develop that land too, maybe around a small park.

Sure, Minnetonka Blvd. and Excelsior will see some increased traffic, but SWLRT will be operating in this very same corridor soon too. Do we really need (in order, north to south) Cedar Lk Rd, Mtka Blvd, Hwy. 7, SWLRT, and Excelsior Blvd in this corridor, east of 100?

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby mattaudio » December 4th, 2012, 10:30 am

Yes! Great idea! That, and connecting France to Mtka Blvd would do a lot to recreate a usable grid in this area.

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby woofner » December 4th, 2012, 12:32 pm

I would think that the signalized intersection in the design concept would be a better indicator that the roadway is no longer a freeway east of Hwy 100 than a flyover would be - and cheaper too. It would be even better if they used the land in the northeast corner of the interchange for development instead of a stormwater retention pond. Then replace the frontage roads between 100 & Beltline or so with multi-way boulevard access lanes.

I always thought that the interchange at Minnetonka & Lake could be replaced with a roundabout-esque one-way circus with a nice park area in the center. I don't think the traffic is so crazy there that a park would be unusable, although that area isn't exactly hurting for park land.
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Re: Hwy 100

Postby min-chi-cbus » December 4th, 2012, 12:33 pm

Or my wild idea:

Entirely eliminate Hwy 7. east of Hwy. 100. Reconfigure the interchange to acknowledge that most people are going north on 100 to 394 with a flyover + aux lane.

Without Hwy. 7 going through that part of SLP, all of the north-south streets can be reconnected in a standard grid pattern. Tons of land in a very high-demand area could be developed and put back on the tax rolls (and TIF it out to pay for the road reconfiguration). That silly braid intersection with Lake Street can go away, and develop that land too, maybe around a small park.

Sure, Minnetonka Blvd. and Excelsior will see some increased traffic, but SWLRT will be operating in this very same corridor soon too. Do we really need (in order, north to south) Cedar Lk Rd, Mtka Blvd, Hwy. 7, SWLRT, and Excelsior Blvd in this corridor, east of 100?
Hwy. 7 East of Hwy. 100 is incredibly busy! I lived near the West Calhoun area for a few years and I can tell you that the MAJORITY of the traffic on Lake St. where it jams at Lake Calhoun is from Hwy. 7.

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby twincitizen » December 4th, 2012, 12:41 pm

Exactly, so get rid of it! Or keep it on the highway system and off of city streets.

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby mattaudio » December 4th, 2012, 12:50 pm

Since I live and work in S. Mpls and occasionally go west, I've anecdotally thought a lot of the traffic that's on Hwy 7 / Lake / Lagoon / 26th / 28th between Hwy 100 and Minneapolis is because it is so painful to get through the Lowry Tunnel to get between S. Mpls and the St. Louis Park area.

Edit: So I mean to say, it's a reason why we could just get rid of the connection, since it's serving as a shortcut to avoid a freeway congestion spot. I agree

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby min-chi-cbus » December 4th, 2012, 12:51 pm

Since I live and work in S. Mpls and occasionally go west, I've anecdotally thought a lot of the traffic that's on Hwy 7 / Lake / Lagoon / 26th / 28th between Hwy 100 and Minneapolis is because it is so painful to get through the Lowry Tunnel to get between S. Mpls and the St. Louis Park area.

Edit: So I mean to say, it's a reason why we could just get rid of the connection, since it's serving as a shortcut to avoid a freeway congestion spot. I agree
Well it's also very convenient, and it traverses a very beautiful and interesting part of the city. It's also the highest-capacity route that feeds Uptown.

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woofner
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Re: Hwy 100

Postby woofner » December 4th, 2012, 12:52 pm

Hwy. 7 East of Hwy. 100 is incredibly busy! I lived near the West Calhoun area for a few years and I can tell you that the MAJORITY of the traffic on Lake St. where it jams at Lake Calhoun is from Hwy. 7.
Traffic counts on Hwy 7 in St Louis Park are just a bit above those of Washington Ave in Downtown Mpls. Guess they should have built that Washington Ave Freeway/Bus Station/Heliport they were planning in the 50s huh?
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Re: Hwy 100

Postby twincitizen » December 4th, 2012, 1:03 pm

Minnetonka Blvd, Excelsior Blvd, and Southwest LRT can pick up demand heading for Uptown....err scratch that last one.


Seriously though, Hennepin County has already begun the downscaling of Hwy. 7 (it's actually just Hennepin County 25, east of 100).

St. Louis Park actually has a plan to downscale it further to an "urban boulevard" (their words) and reclaim some of the land in that area. Probably not enough for much development though. Hennepin County would have to sign off, and I don't see this being a priority for them. When I spoke to St. Louis Park planners about this back in the spring, they weren't optimistic. It's just a plan...for now.

CR-25 (from Hwy 100 to junction with Lake St) carries like what 20,000 ADT? Less? I remember it not being a whole lot more than either Mtka or Excelsior Blvds, and both of those are in the teens of thousands. If you could keep a chunk of that traffic on the highway system (7>100>394) and Southwest LRT picks up some of the peak demand, you wouldn't be adding a crushing amount of traffic to either Mtka or Excelsior. They can handle the increase.

The potential to reconnect the street grid, develop the area, and put all that land back on the tax rolls gets me all hot and bothered

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Re: Hwy 100

Postby MNdible » December 4th, 2012, 1:37 pm

I would think that the signalized intersection in the design concept would be a better indicator that the roadway is no longer a freeway east of Hwy 100 than a flyover would be - and cheaper too. It would be even better if they used the land in the northeast corner of the interchange for development instead of a stormwater retention pond. Then replace the frontage roads between 100 & Beltline or so with multi-way boulevard access lanes.

I always thought that the interchange at Minnetonka & Lake could be replaced with a roundabout-esque one-way circus with a nice park area in the center. I don't think the traffic is so crazy there that a park would be unusable, although that area isn't exactly hurting for park land.
Multi-lane boulevard and giant round-abouts in one post? Dude, you just melted every face on the forum.

mattaudio
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Re: Hwy 100

Postby mattaudio » December 4th, 2012, 1:44 pm

Yes! Finally someone made a multi-way boulevard and giant round-about post and it wasn't me!

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woofner
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Re: Hwy 100

Postby woofner » December 4th, 2012, 2:07 pm

Multi-lane boulevard and giant round-abouts in one post? Dude, you just melted every face on the forum.
I should have mentioned too that there are some cementitious panels on the exterior of the Valustay Inn that could be augmented and partially replaced with native Kasota stone for a truly world class weekly motel!
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Re: Hwy 100

Postby seanrichardryan » December 4th, 2012, 6:27 pm

Will the SWLRT bridge over Hwy. 100 get a bump up on the schedule now that the current train bridges will be demolished by 2014?

http://www.stlouispark.org/webfiles/fil ... 122911.pdf

Looks like Hwy 7 heading WB won't have to stop until you get to Texas
Last edited by seanrichardryan on December 5th, 2012, 12:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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