News Release

Roseville, Minn.— A milestone in the I-494 Reconstruction will take place the first week in December when all southbound traffic between Highway 5 and Minnetonka Blvd. is scheduled to be shifted onto what were the northbound lanes. Traffic in both directions will be separated by a concrete median barrier.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) advises drivers to be alert and drive carefully through this area since the lanes and shoulders are currently narrower than what the final configuration will be.

With all southbound traffic out of the way, crews will remove the old pavement and bridges and begin building the new southbound lanes, bridges and a concrete median barrier. Work on the southbound lanes is expected to be completed in late summer of 2005. Once that work is complete, traffic in both directions will be shifted onto the new southbound side and the same improvements will be made to the northbound lanes.

For daily updates of project information call the I-494 Construction Information Hotline at (952) 908-2929, call the I-494 Stage 2 (Hwy 5 to I-394) Public Information Office at (952) 908-2907, e-mail dan.galvin@gcinc.com or visit the project Web site at projects.dot.state.mn.us/gcinc/494/

Traveler information, including incident reports, is available by calling 511 or logging on to www.511mn.org. Know the Road. Dial up or log on.

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