Total project costs for the I-494 and 34th Avenue South interchange is $6,000,000. TED funds from MnDOT. DEED contributed $4,200,000 to this project, while the Metropolitan Airport Commission is contributing $900,000 and the city of Bloomington is also contributing $900,000.
Project Description
The I-494 and 34th Avenue South interchange is located at the border of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and the City of Bloomington, between Airport Lane and American Boulevard East. The proposed improvements would convert the existing diamond interchange to a diverging diamond interchange (DDI), increasing capacity and decreasing queue lengths and conflict points.
Transportation Impacts
The existing interchange experiences queuing during the peak hours that extends approximately two-thirds of the length of the eastbound exit ramp, and the interchange is unable to safely and efficiently accommodate the growing vehicular and transit demand. With the improvements resulting from this TED project, the I-494 and 34th Ave. interchange will be able to reduce queues, thereby making the interchange much more efficient, and implement significant safety enhancements.
Economic Development Impacts
Improvements to the interchange are a critical component of both the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport's and the City of Bloomington's long range plans. Capacity enhancements at Humphrey’s Terminal 2 and growth within the City of Bloomington depend on increased carrying capacity at the interchange, which serves as a primary gateway to each of these regional centers.
