MnDOT proposes DRAFT, safety-driven upgrades to Highway 252/I-94, invites public feedback
Highway 252 has a crash rate above the statewide average for similar roads. MnDOT publishes draft Environmental Impact Statement and will accept comments through Dec. 22.
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – After several years of close coordination and engagement with local communities, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has identified a preferred alternative to improve safety, congestion and travel times and make it easier to walk, bike and take transit along Highway 252 and Interstate 94 in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis. MnDOT today published a draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project, opening a 60-day public comment period through Dec. 22.
MnDOT’s preferred alternative would convert Highway 252 between Highway 610 and the I-694 interchange from a highway with traffic signals to a freeway with interchanges that separate highway traffic from local road crossings. It would leave the number and types of lanes on I-94 unchanged between I-694 and North 4th Street in downtown Minneapolis and could reduce crashes overall by more than 40 percent. The draft state and federal environmental impact statements are now open for community members to provide feedback on the alternative and share what they like or do not like about the project.
"For years, we have heard about safety concerns along the Highway 252 and I-94 corridor from local partners, residents, businesses and others who live, work and travel along this critical corridor. MnDOT’s preferred alternative provides the most benefit through safety and mobility improvements and the fewest impacts, while also being more cost-efficient than other options,” MnDOT project manager Amber Blanchard said. “We encourage Minnesotans to offer their comments now on this important project. This period is a time when people can meaningfully impact the project. We take Minnesotans’ input seriously and will consider incorporating it into the final decision and design."
MnDOT studied 10 options for the number and types of lanes on Highway 252 and I-94 to identify a preferred alternative that best addresses the needs local partners identified during the early planning phase, including safety, travel time and travel reliability.
Highway 252 has a crash rate above the statewide average for similar roads. Congestion at signalized intersections causes delays and makes travel times less predictable, especially during morning and afternoon rush hours. Long crossing distances, busy intersections and high-speed traffic also create safety challenges for people walking, biking and rolling, including transit riders crossing the highway to reach bus stops. Without improvements, congestion and crashes are expected to worsen as traffic increases through 2040.
Preferred alternative
The preferred alternative would provide four lanes on Highway 252, two in each direction, with shoulders that buses can use. It would also improve walking and biking facilities across Highway 252 and on existing bridges over I-94.
The alternative also includes:
• Three new Highway 252 interchanges at 85th Avenue, Brookdale Drive and 66th Avenue.
• A multimodal crossing at 73rd Avenue providing east-west connections across Highway 252.
• Four new pedestrian and bicycle bridges at Humboldt Avenue/81st Avenue and 70th Avenue on Highway 252, and at 62nd Avenue and 34th Avenue on I-94.
• A separate road for entering and exiting traffic on southbound Highway 252 between Brookdale Drive and the I-694 interchange to help drivers merge safely.
Benefits and impacts
Compared with the no-build option MnDOT must use to evaluate proposed alternatives, MnDOT anticipates this option will:
• Reduce crashes overall by 41 percent, including a 25-percent reduction in serious and fatal crashes. Highway 252 currently averages one traffic fatality per year.
• Improve safety and comfort for pedestrians and bicyclists at intersections and bridges crossing Highway 252 and I-94.
• Reduce average travel time for vehicles and buses by 3 ½ minutes.
The analysis also identifies this option as having the fewest impacts to parks, trees, utilities and homes affected by traffic noise.
Public comment period and hearings
The public can review the draft Environmental Impact Statement, which includes the analysis of all alternatives, and an interactive overview of the preferred option on the project website. MnDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will accept comments from Oct. 23 through Dec. 22.
Comments may be submitted through the project website, by email, on comment cards, by speaking to a court reporter at a public hearing, or through other written or oral communication received by Dec. 22.
Public hearings are scheduled to take place Nov. 10 in Brooklyn Park, Nov. 12 in Brooklyn Center and Nov. 19 in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis hearing will also include a noise wall voting meeting. A virtual open house is scheduled for Dec. 8. Meeting times and locations are available on the project website.
Noise wall voting
The preliminary noise analysis identifies potential noise wall locations. Noise wall voting will take place during the public comment period, with meetings for residents who would benefit from proposed walls scheduled for the week of Nov. 16.
Next steps
Following the public comment period, MnDOT will review feedback and provide responses to substantive comments as the agency moves into the final Environmental Impact Statement.
For the draft Environmental Impact Statement, an interactive overview of the preferred alternative, public meeting details and comment information, visit Highway 252/I-94 Environmental Review.
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