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- TK Kramascz
651-234-7507
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Minnesota Department of Transportation
Metro District
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1500 County Rd B2 West
Roseville, MN 55113
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Congestion on Twin Cities Metro freeways increased in 2010
Trend levels increase for the second straight year after several years downward
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Twin Cities Metropolitan Area freeway traffic congestion increased between 2009 and 2010 by more than three percent, from 18.2 percent to 21.5 percent overall.
Many factors affect congestion levels, including the health of the local economy, population growth, gas prices, transit ridership and vehicle miles traveled.
“Mn/DOT continues to work closely with the Metropolitan Council and other partners to provide a safe, reliable and modern transportation system,” said Scott McBride, Metro District Engineer.
“Our range of solutions includes cost-effective construction projects to improve traffic flow, MnPASS express lanes, expanded park-and-ride lots, bus shoulder bypass lanes and bus rapid transit projects,” he said.
Projects completed in the recent past have helped address congestion at various locations, including the I-35W Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) project, including a High Occupancy Toll lane; the addition of third I-494 lanes between Highway 61 and I-94 in Woodbury and Maplewood; the I-494 Wakota Bridge spanning the Mississippi River in South St. Paul and Newport and the
I-35W/Crosstown reconstruction project in Minneapolis and Richfield.
The benefits of the I-35W/Crosstown project are not included in this report. The project was completed in November 2010, about a month after the congestion report study period had ended.
Other projects to be completed in the near future include
- Resurfacing and the addition of I-94 Intelligent Lane Control Signals (ILCS) between Minneapolis and St. Paul, similar to the I-35W ILCS project between downtown Minneapolis and Burnsville http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/i94resurfacing/index.html
- The Hwy 169/County Road 81 interchange reconstruction in Brooklyn Park and Osseo http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/hwy169triangle/
- The Hwy 610 extension in Maple Grove http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/610/
- The Hwy 169/I-494 interchange reconstruction in Bloomington, Edina and Eden Prairie http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/169/
- The Hwy 52/Lafayette Bridge replacement project east of downtown St. Paul http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/hwy52-stpaul/
- The I-35E reconstruction and bridge replacement project between University Ave. and Maryland Ave. in St. Paul (begins 2012) http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/cayuga/index.html
Managing congestion improves the quality of life, improves safety and can positively affect the environment. With finite resources and the measured growth in the region’s population, Mn/DOT's goal is to slow the growth of congestion with strategies for addressing congestion that include many approaches, including:
Active Traffic Management (ATM) smoothes congestion and reduces the number of incidents. Examples include traffic cameras, ramp meters and changeable message signs, which indicate recommended speeds or incidents ahead.
Construction of Lower-Cost/High-Benefit Highway Improvements: Projects that improve traffic flow by providing bottleneck relief, improving geometric design and addressing safety hazards.
Managed Lanes System: Priced managed lanes can provide a congestion-free travel option at posted speeds for motorists willing to a toll that fluctuates, based on congestion levels.
Strategic Capacity Expansion: Strategic capacity enhancements as general purpose lanes rather than priced managed lanes provide lane continuity for an existing facility or to complete an unfinished segment of the Metropolitan Highway System.
To view the complete 2010 Metropolitan Freeway System Congestion Report visit www.mndot.gov
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