Overview
Location
I-35E from Pennsylvania Ave to Little Canada Road in St. Paul
Schedule
Proposed 2013-2015 construction
Status
Further development is dependent on securing legislative support
Partners
Resources
- I-35E MnPASS project handout (PDF)
- MnPASS system fact sheet (PDF)
- Project Open House Presentation Feb. 2012 (PPT)
- Additional Information (PDF, 2 MB)
- I-35E Animation
MnPASS project proposal
As part of the I-35E Cayuga Project, MnDOT is proposing the addition of MnPASS Express Lanes on Interstate 35E between Pennsylvania Avenue and little Canada Road. This will be the first MnPASS investment in the East Metro area and an essential link for people commuting between downtown St. Paul and the suburbs to the north. Learn more about MnPASS.
The MnPASS project would also include reconstructing the pavement between Little Canada Road and Maryland Avenue; replacing the Arlington, Wheelock and Larpenteur bridges; and replacing the mainline bridges at Roselawn Avenue, County Road B and Hwy. 36.
Upcoming Informational Meetings
Future project open houses will be scheduled in the Little Canada, Maplewood and St. Paul areas in 2012.
Benefits
- MnPASS Express Lanes offer faster, more reliable travel options for the public to choose from and can move 50 percent more people than regular lanes during congested rush hour conditions
- Transit riders and car poolers (two or more people) get an advantage during rush hours because they can use the congestion-free MnPASS lanes free of charge
- Solo motorists with a MnPASS transponder can choose to use the lanes during rush hours by paying a fee that averages about $1.25
- Transit, carpool and vanpool users outnumber single-occupant vehicle tollpayers by more than 7
to 1 on the I-394 Express Lanes - Lanes adjacent to the MnPASS lanes remain general purpose lanes, open and free to all
vehicles and less congested because of MnPASS
Planning for the future
MnPASS Express Lanes demonstrate how congestion is reduced in high-demand urban corridors without expanding the highway footprint. In 2005, MnDOT converted underused car pool lanes to optional toll lanes along I-394 between I-494 and downtown Minneapolis. In 2009, MnDOT opened MnPASS Express Lanes on I-35W between Burnsville Parkway and downtown Minneapolis. MnDOT and the Metropolitan Council have recommended additional MnPASS lanes for the region in future years because MnPASS is a cost-effective strategy for managing congestion, using existing road capacity to reduce travel times on some of the busiest roads in the metro area.