Wright County drivers and commuters should be gearing up for some short term pain that will, hopefully, bring some long term gain to Interstate 94 in the area.
This summer crews will start work on more than three years worth of construction improvements to I-94 between Maple Grove and Clearwater. This work will expand the freeway, replace pavement, repair bridges, build an interchange at Dayton Parkway (formerly Brockton Road), provide new safety features and improve freight access.
Work starts this summer when crews build temporary lanes between Maple Grove and Rogers. Preliminary work between St. Michael and Albertville begins in summer/fall 2019, and between Monticello and Clearwater in fall of 2019.
The improvements on this 39-mile stretch of I-94 will take about three years to complete. Motorists can expect reduced speeds, lane closures and occasional ramp closures.
A groundbreaking for the new lanes on I-94 was held last fall at the Albertville Premium Outlets.
MnDOT is hosting three informational meetings in January to provide more information:
Wed, Jan. 16
6-8 p.m.
Monticello noisewall meeting
Monticello Community Center
505 Walnut St., Monticello
Tue, Jan. 29
6-8 p.m.
Maple Grove to Rogers noise wall and environmental assessment meeting
Maple Grove Government Center, emergency operations center
12800 Arbor Lakes Pkwy. N., Maple Grove
Tue, Jan. 29
6-8 p.m.
Monticello to Clearwater public meeting
Monticello Community Center
505 Walnut St., Monticello
Timeline: A cadre of construction projects
MnDOT has broken down the work into four main projects, which will transpire from 2019 to 2022. The stretch of I-94 brought into play by this array of projects is nearly 40 miles, from the Fish Lake Interchange in Maple Grove all the way to the Clearwater exit at Minnesota Highway 24.
Wright County-based Legislator Rep. Eric Lucero said the improvements on I-94 are long overdue for truck drivers and commuters.
“This is fantastic news for our community,” Lucero said. “Roads and bridges transportation funding has been one of the top priorities I’ve been fighting for during my time in office and improvements to I-94 will reduce congestion for tens of thousands of hardworking people.”
Lucero and Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer were chief authors of Corridors of Commerce project funding for I-94 in St. Michael and Albertville that was signed into law in 2017. MnDOT announced in 2018 Corridors of Commerce funding would be allocated to expand I-94 to three lanes in both directions between St. Michael and Albertville.
“I’m proud Sen. Kiffmeyer and I successfully achieved securing funding for the Corridors of Commerce program that will greatly benefit and continue the economic growth of our great community,” Lucero said.
Here’s a look at the four projects:
St. Michael to Albertville
Crews will reconstruct all lanes of traffic in east and westbound directions from Minnesota Highway 241 to Wright County Highway 19. That will include the reconstruction of I-94 bridges over Highway 19, and the reconstruction of the Highway 241 bridge of Interstate 94.
That will be necessary to accommodate two extra lanes – an eastbound lane and on-ramp from County 19 to Highway 241, and an extension of 3-lane highway from Highway 241 to County Road 37 on the westbound side of the freeway. A concrete median will also be placed on that roadway.
Work will begin in summer 2019 and continue through the end of the 2021 construction season.
Monticello to Clearwater
Again, a new lane of road will be added between Minnesota Highways 25 and 24 on the interstate, making it six lanes of traffic – a key to transportation needs for both vacationers and truck drivers.
Crews will also add a noise wall on the westbound side of Interstate 94 near Highway25.
The area will also get state-of-the-art vehicle weigh-in-motion sensors, allowing MnDOT to measure cargo-hauling trucks and trailers on the roadway.
Work will begin in 2019 and continue through 2021.
Maple Grove to Rogers and Dayton Interchange
The sore spot for commuters into the Twin Cities will happen beggining in 2020, when crews reconstruct the nine miles of highway between Minnesota Highway 101 and the Interstate 494/94 interchange at Fish Lake.
Along with new concrete, a new lane of road will be added from Minnesota Highway 610 to Highway 101, alleviating some of the traffic congestion seen since the Highway 610 interchange was opened in 2016.
Work on the Maple Grove to Rogers stretch will begin in the 2020 construction season and last through the 2022 season.
For more details, visit the I-94 Maple Grove to Clearwater project website at mndot.gov/i94-mg-clearwater/.
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