Location
- 140th Street West in Apple Valley to I-494 in Bloomington
Goals
- Reduce congestion along the entire corridor without moving the problem downstream
- Provide advantages for transit and carpoolers
- Provide a congestion-free choice for single occupant vehicles
- Utilize existing infrastructure
Additional Links
- Managed Lanes Fact Sheet
- Contra Lanes Fact Sheet
- Existing managed lanes on I-394 and I-35W
- Why Managed Lanes?
- Final Report
- Dakota County Letter of Support
- City of Bloomington Letter of Support
- City of Apple Valley Letter of Support
- City of Eagan Letter of Support
What: A study of Hwy 77 (Cedar Avenue) in Apple Valley and Bloomington to find ways to relieve congestion
Why: The highway is congested for several hours during the morning commute, crash rates are increasing and traffic volumes are expected to increase by 36 percent over the next 20 years.
Project Update: We have completed the Hwy 77 Managed Lanes study. Two alternatives have been approved by Dakota County and the cities of Bloomington, Eagan and Apple Valley and will continue to be evaluated. The next steps include an environmental assessment and preliminary engineering for both alternatives. As part of the environmental assessment, both alternatives will require a noise analysis to determine whether noise walls are needed.
A concrete barrier is no longer the
immovable object it used to be. New
technology and equipment, including
trucks like this, allow crews to safely
and quickly move the barriers to take
advantage of underused lanes and
create an additional lane where it
is needed. Play the video above to see
the process in action.
Alternatives considered include:
- Adding a MnPASS lane from 138th St. to Old Shakopee Road.
- Adding a MnPASS contra flow lane from 138th Street to Old Shakopee Road.
About managed lanes:
To improve safety, ease congestion and maintain consistent speeds, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is introducing the “managed road” to Minnesota drivers. A managed road uses technology – including ramp meters, freeway cameras and electronic signage – to provide drivers with more real-time information. That helps drivers make more informed decisions, increases safety and creates more reliable commute times.
Keeping traffic moving at consistent speeds is known in transportation circles as “speed harmonization.” It actively manages traffic by posting advisory speed messages to warn drivers of slower traffic ahead and to smooth flow and reduce shock waves. An incident management system will come online first, with speed harmonization soon after.
In addition, the new MnPASS Express Lanes and express transit provide more transportation choices and helps keep traffic moving at consistent speeds.