Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

169 Redefine—Elk River

Future freeway

Current impacts

Off-road work to occur year-round. All traffic impacts are tentative and weather dependent.

Hwy 169 work zone map
Hwy 169 work zone map on Nov. 3, 2023. Select image to enlarge

Lane closures

Hwy 169

Through November
  • Periodic lane or shoulder closures

Thank you Elk River community

The construction team thanks the traveling public for their patience during the 2023 construction season

Local access

  • Temporary accesses used for 2023 construction will be removed after Nov. 3, includes:
    • Compact roundabout on Evans St. 
    • Signal at Gates Ave. and Main St.
  • Access will be open and maintained year-round to those who work, visit, or live along Hwy 169 in Elk River; however, expect changes and seek alternate routes to avoid delays

Looking ahead to 2024

  • Construct the final Hwy 169 interchange at Main St. between Hwy 10 and School St.

Be prepared for delays

Overall, Hwy 169 will be reduced to one lane in both directions through each work area, each year. Access to/from Hwy 169 and adjacent streets will change and motorists will follow road signs to the next open access.

Consider these tips:

About this project

The three-mile Hwy 169 freeway between Hwy 101/Hwy 10 and 197th Ave. in Elk River will take three full construction seasons to complete from April 2022 to November 2024. Work includes bridges, freeway lanes, adjacent road and sidewalk connections, city utilities and underground infrastructures.

Project location map -
Freeway in Elk River. Click map for PDF version

Convert to a freeway

  • Reconstruct all four-lanes of Hwy 169 and adjacent road connections
  • Construct four new interchanges:
    • Hwy 169 bridge over Main St.
    • School St./Elk Hills Dr. bridge over Hwy 169
    • Hwy 169 bridge over 193rd Ave.
    • 197th Ave. bridge over Hwy 169 - Complete 2022
  • Improve pedestrian accessibility along city streets
  • Upgrade underground infrastructure and utilities
  • Improve access at the Hwy 10/101/169interchange - Complete 2022
  • Replace the northbound Hwy 101/169 bridge over Hwy 10 - Complete 2022

The 169 Redefine project is in partnership with MnDOT, City of Elk River and Sherburne County.

Visualization of future freeway in Elk River

All information is subject to change.