We are studying a 7-mile segment of I-35 between the I-35E/35W split in Burnsville and 210th St. in Lakeville in Dakota County to envision improvements. The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding of corridor needs, identify potential future improvements, and determine how and when these improvements should be implemented.
Summary of work
Present project background information and set expectations
Collect information on issues and opportunities
Share engagement results during each successive engagement effort
Maintain effective communication with the Project Management Team (PMT) to ensure everyone is informed and on the same page
Engage stakeholders who are historically under-represented in the public engagement process
Information collection and analysis
In the first phase of the I-35 study, we gathered and analyzed information about the study area. This included existing community plans, traffic counts, crash history, and road conditions. Based on this analysis, we identified the following primary needs for this segment of I-35:
Safety: Many locations in this segment of I-35 have higher crash rates than expected. This is mostly caused by congestion during peak hours of the day.
Mobility: The high number of vehicles during peak hours causes congestion near the I-35W and I-35E split and the Hwy 5/50 interchange. Future development in the area is expected to further increase congestion.
Infrastructure: Some bridges need replacement and pavement needs repair in this segment of I-35.
Our engagement goals were to inform the public about the study and collect input on what types of improvements should be prioritized. We engaged with over 2,000 community members.
Traffic flow and safety were the top two types of improvements people wanted to see. Specific suggestions included adding lanes, reducing congestion, and improving ramps and merging conditions. The most discussed areas were Hwy 5/50, the I-35W and I-35E split, Juniper Way/Co. Rd. 70/210th St., and Co. Rd. 60/185th St.
