I-494 corridor reconstruction plans

MnDOT newsletter (128KB, 2-page PDF)
The Minnesota Department of Transportation offers information about I-494 reconstruction from I-394 to the Minnesota River.

What is this project?

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has completed the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the I-494 corridor and the area affected by the reconstruction of the I-494 corridor in the I-35W corridor. The EIS document has been approved by MnDOT as well as the Federal Highway Administration. At the present time, MnDOT has stated that the reconstruction involved in the EIS will be after 2024, given the present funding scenario.

The I-494/I-35W interchange is the busiest cloverleaf interchange in the State of Minnesota. The I-494/I-35W interchange has the second highest volume of any interchange in the metro area, second only to Downtown Minneapolis, I-35W/I-94 commons area. Freeways in the Twin Cities area are experiencing the second fastest growth in traffic congestions in the nation. MnDOT has funding for any possible revisions to the I-35W/I-494 interchange for the interchange planning stage programmed for 2009.

MnDOT intends to complete a minimum of three lanes throughout the I-494/I-694 ring as soon as funding allows. MnDOT reconstructed a portion of the I-494 corridor, which was completed in 2005 for the area between TH 100 and TH 5. The next segment of the corridor from TH 5 and I-394 in Minnetonka was reconstructed in 2005 and 2006.

The next project in the I-494 corridor is the Lyndale Avenue/I-494 interchange programmed for late 2008. This project will again be a "single point" interchange that will be very similar to the Penn Avenue/I-494 interchange. The bridge and interchange are intended to be closed January 2, 2009, with the completed new bridge reopening in late fall of 2009. This is also very similar to what occurred at Penn Avenue/I-494.

Virtual tour of planned I-494 and 35W reconstruction on the Web

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has developed several simulations of the I-494 corridor through Bloomington as well as I-35W as it is affected by the I-494 reconstruction.

The simulations show aerial views of the existing roadways, along with computer simulations of the reconstructed roadways, in a split-screen format.

To access the simulations, visit the Mn/DOT Visualization channel at YouTube external link and select any of the four video clips.

For more information, contact:

Jim Gates, Deputy Director of Public Works
PH: 952-563-8730, FAX: 952-563-4868, TTY: 952-563-8740
E-mail:jgates@ci.bloomington.mn.us

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