Congestion management programs
Major capacity expansion and mobility projects in the Twin Cities
Capacity expansion and other major investments to reduce congestion and improve mobility in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area are identified and prioritized through the regional planning process. Specific policy direction for mobility investments comes from the region’s Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) and MnDOT’s statewide transportation plans.
MnDOT currently has very limited funding resources available to address mobility. Most significant capacity expansion and mobility projects (for example, converting a signalized intersection into an interchange or adding lanes to a freeway) are now selected through competitive programs like Corridors or Commerce or the Transportation Economic Development Program. However, MnDOT’s 20 year Highway Investment Plan does allocate some funding to address congestion relief and improve mobility.
When developing pavement and bridge projects, MnDOT looks for opportunities to make targeted improvements to address safety and improve traffic flow. In some instances, larger investments are necessary. The following types of projects are scored and selected through a separate process from the main pavement and bridge project selection process:
- The addition of one lane mile or more (MnPASS, general purpose or auxiliary)
- New or significantly modified interchanges
- Any project requiring an Environmental Assessment or full Environmental Impact Statement
- Any project that includes a capacity expansion element costing $10 million or more (the cost of the capacity is $10 million, not the total project cost)
The Metropolitan Council (the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization) and MnDOT, along with other partner agencies and stakeholders, evaluate and prioritize various issues and needs related to congestion and mobility as part of region-wide system studies. Examples include MnPASS System Study 3, the Principal Arterial Intersection Conversion Study and the Freeway System Interchange Study.
With each update to the Transportation Policy Plan, the Metropolitan Council decides which priority needs and project areas identified in the system studies to include in the 20-year timeframe of the plan. The needs and project areas listed in either the current or increased revenue scenario of the TPP are the list of eligible candidate projects.
What's been selected
Related links
- Metro District project selection
- Corridors of Commerce
- Minnesota Highway Freight Program
- Transportation Economic Development Program
- Metropolitan Council’s Regional Solicitation
How the projects scored
All currently programmed and planned major capacity expansion and mobility projects were either in the 2019-2022 State Transportation Improvement Program (exempted from the project selection policy) or selected through competitive programs like Corridors of Commerce or the Metropolitan Council’s regional solicitation. The list below reflects the current candidate projects based on the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan.
The costs shown on this list represent a very rough estimate based on limited information currently available. Actual construction and delivery costs would change over time as projects go from a concept through the project development process and are eventually constructed. View more detailed scores (Excel).
Last updated October 2021
| Score | Route | Description | High level construction cost estimate for planning purposes | Year Planned (FY) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | I-35W | Construct northbound and southbound managed lanes from Ramsey County Road C to Mississippi River | $170,000,000 | Not Selected | Corridor environmental study currently underway. |
| 70 | I-35W | Construct southbound managed lanes from Ramsey County Road C to Mississippi River | $100,000,000 | Not Selected | Corridor environmental study currently underway. |
| 60 | MN 36 | Construct eastbound managed lane from I-35W to I-35E | $50,000,000 | Not Selected | Study currently underway to better understand the project details and cost |
| 60 | MN 77 | Construct northbound managed Lanes from 138th St to I-494 | $50,000,000 | Not Selected | <Blank> |
| 55 | I-94 | Construct managed lanes from downtown Minneapolis to downtown Saint Paul | $100,000,000 | Not Selected | Corridor environmental study currently underway. Benefit-cost ratio not yet calculated and no points included in the score for return on investment. |
| 55 | I-94 | Convert general purpose lanes to managed lanes from Dowling Ave to 4th St and add a direct connection to downtown Minneapolis | Estimate under development | Not Selected | Corridor environmental study currently underway. Benefit-cost ratio not yet calculated and no points included in the score for return on investment. |
| 55 | US 169 | Construct managed lanes from Scott County Road 17/Marschall Rd to I-494 | $130,000,000 | Not Selected | <Blank> |
| 55 | I-494 | Construct managed lanes from Highway 169 to Highway 5 and the MSP Airport | $170,000,000 | Not Selected | Study currently underway to better understand the project details and cost |
| 40 | MN 36 | Construct Westbound managed lane from I-35W to I-35E | $50,000,000 | Not Selected | Study currently underway to better understand the project details and cost |
| 35 | I-94 | Construct managed Lanes from Highway 101 in Rogers to I-494/I-694 | $80,000,000 | Not Selected | <Blank> |
| 35 | I-694 | Construct managed Lane from Highway 252 to I-35W | $120,000,000 | Not Selected | Benefit-cost ratio not yet calculated and no points included in the score for return on investment. |
| 30 | US 169 | Construct managed lanes from I-494 to I-394 | $200,000,000 | Not Selected | Benefit-cost ratio not yet calculated and no points included in the score for return on investment. |
| 30 | US 169 | Construct managed lanes from I-394 to I-694 | $180,000,000 | Not Selected | Benefit-cost ratio not yet calculated and no points included in the score for return on investment. |
| 30 | I-35E | Extend managed lanes northbound from Ramsey County Road J to Anoka County Road 14 and southbound from Anoka County Road 14 to Ramsey County Highway 96 | Estimate under development | Not Selected | Benefit-cost ratio not yet calculated and no points included in the score for return on investment. |
| 30 | I-35 | Extend managed lanes from Crystal Lake Road/ South Cross Dr in Lakeville to Dakota County Road 70 | $40,000,000 | Not Selected | Benefit-cost ratio not yet calculated and no points included in the score for return on investment. |
| 10 | I-94 | Construct managed Lane from from MN252 to I694/494/Sunfish Lake Interchange | $110,000,000 | Not Selected | Benefit-cost ratio not yet calculated and no points included in the score for return on investment. |