News Release

(Roseville, Minn).—After a six-month closure for reconstruction, the Anoka County Road 52 bridge and interchange at Interstate 35W in Blaine reopens to traffic on Wednesday, November 27. At the same time, the west frontage road will reopen along with the realigned Naples Avenue on each side of the bridge. The new bridge will carry two lanes of traffic in each direction separated by a center median. Traffic will be a single lane in each direction on Radisson Road up to 101st Avenue west of the new bridge.

Traffic at each end of the bridge will be controlled by stop signs until a signal system is activated in mid-December. The new signal system will control traffic at Naples Street east of
I-35W, at the ramps on each end of the bridge and at Naples Street and 95th Street on the west side of the interstate.

Reconstruction of the bridge and interchange of I-35W and Anoka County Road 52 (also known as 95th Ave.) began Monday, June 10. During the project, 95th Avenue was closed and detoured between Flanders Court in Blaine on the west side of the interstate and Hamline Avenue in Lexington on the east side of I-35W. In addition to the new bridge, the project included new entrance and exit ramps between 95th Ave. and the interstate as well as ponds to handle water runoff and a new storm sewer system.

The joint Anoka County-Mn/DOT project also included reconstruction of the Park and Ride lot in the northwest corner of the interchange and relocation of Naples Street farther from I-35W on both sides of the interstate. The newly enlarged parking area now accommodates more than 800 vehicles.

Next spring, work begins on rebuilding Radisson Road between 101st and 109th Avenues on the west side of the interstate. Final completion of the project is scheduled for August, 2003.

###