Thinking Out of the Box
Kingfield’s 5th Annual Community Art Show-March 20-Get tickets here!
Please consider donating.
Mar
1
Animations of the finished 35W/Crosstown project on the Web
Filed Under traffic, transit | Leave a Comment
The Crosstown/35W reconstruction project is scheduled for completion later this year, and now is a perfect time to see for yourselves what the finished project will look like.
Six animations are available animations and each shows either a birds-eye view of various points along the project or a view of several locations from a motorist’s perspective behind the wheel.
The majority of the work will be completed by Autumn 2010.
For more information on the I-35W/Highway 62 Crosstown reconstruction project, visit www.mndot.gov or call the Crosstown Project hotline at 1-866-743-6590 or send an e-mail to crosstown@rranow.com.
For up-to-date information on Mn/DOT projects, go to www.511mn.org, follow Mn/DOT at www.twitter.com/mndottraffic or visit the “Minnesota Department of Transportation” page on Facebook.
For More Information on the Crosstown Project
Crosstown Project Hotline: 1.866.743.6590
Email: crosstown@rranow.com
Website: www.mndot.gov
Feb
16
46th Street ramp to close Feb. 17
Filed Under traffic | Leave a Comment
Motorists will encounter detours and increased congestion on metro area roadways when the 46th Street ramp to southbound Interstate 35W closes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17.
The 46th Street bridge will remain open during the closure. The ramp closure is needed as crews continue freeway work in the area as part of the Interstate 35W/Highway 62 Crosstown reconstruction project. Motorists should follow the posted detours during the closures, which include using Diamond Lake Road ramp to reach southbound I-35W.
For more information on the I-35W/Highway 62 Crosstown reconstruction project, visit www.mndot.gov or call the Crosstown Project hotline at 1-866-743-6590 or send an e-mail to crosstown@rranow.com. For up-to-date information on Mn/DOT projects, go to www.511mn.org, follow Mn/DOT at www.twitter.com/mndottraffic or visit the “Minnesota Department of Transportation” page on Facebook.
For More Information on the Crosstown Project
Crosstown Project Hotline: 1.866.743.6590
Email: crosstown@rranow.com
Website: www.mndot.gov
Crosstown Project Office: 6242 Lyndale Ave S, Richfield*
*For office hours, call the Crosstown Project Hotline.
Sep
4
Community Information Meeting Regarding Landscaping Along MnDOT Noise Walls
Filed Under green, redevelopment, traffic | Leave a Comment
(for 2nd Avenue – 35th Street to 42nd Street and Stevens Avenue – 38th Street to 42nd Street)
Monday, September 14, 6:30 pm
Martin Luther King Park, 40th and Nicollet
Noise walls have been constructed this summer on Stevens and 2nd Avenue as part of the Urban Partnership Agreement. MnDOT has developed a proposed landscaping plan for the areas along the noise walls, from 35th Street to 42nd Street on 2nd Avenue South, and along Stevens Avenue from 38th Street to 42nd Street. (Areas south of 42nd Street are part of the Crosstown Commons project, which has its own budget for landscaping).
The plan includes additional trees, shrubs, and vines to be planted along the noise walls, and some perennials in certain locations. Plantings would occur in Spring 2010, and would ensure watering and maintenance for a two year period after planting. Read more
Aug
27
By Jake Weyer, SW Journal
Kingfield residents and City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden (8th Ward) have pushed MnDOT to develop a landscaping plan
The neighborhood’s concerns rose with the walls.
As soon as the massive sound barriers went up this spring along Stevens Avenue between 38th and 42nd Streets as part of the I-35W Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) project, graffiti surfaced and the neighborhood association started hearing about it. And there was something else about the walls that just didn’t seem right.
“We started hearing from neighbors that this is really ugly, this is really gross,” said Sarah Linnes-Robinson, executive director of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA). “So we started looking at walls the whole length of the project and wondering why the walls down at 54th were so much nicer than the walls up here.”
Read more here.
Jul
31
Have You Heard? 46th Street Bridge in South Minneapolis reopens July 31!
Filed Under traffic | Leave a Comment
Motorists will once again be able to cross Interstate 35W at 46th Street when the 46th Street Bridge reopens, on Friday, July 31.
May
15
Overnight lane restrictions on I-35W in Minneapolis begin May 18
Filed Under traffic, transit | Leave a Comment
Motorists will experience nighttime lane restrictions on northbound and southbound I-35W between downtown Minneapolis and 42nd Street starting at 10 p.m., May 18, and continuing through Friday, May 22.
During this time northbound I-35W will be reduced to one lane and southbound I-35W will be reduced to two lanes. Crews will re-open lanes at 5 a.m. daily so three lanes will be operating by morning rush hour. The process is timed to minimize traffic disruption. Additional nighttime lane closures will continue to occur periodically on I-35W from 42nd Street to downtown Minneapolis through the completion of the project this fall.
For more information about the UPA, go to www.dot.state.mn.us/upa. Or call the Crosstown/I-35W Project hotline at 1-866-743-6590 or send an e-mail to crosstown@rranow.com.
Apr
23
FAQ on 35W Construction and Impacts
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
35W construction south of 42nd is part of the Crosstown Project; work north of 42nd is part of the Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) project. Both are projected for completion in December 2010.
FAQ on 35w construction and impacts on Kingfield 4/17/09 from Councilmember Elizabeth Glidden
1. What blocks will get noise walls as part of the Urban Partnership Agreement (construction going north of 42nd Street)?
The City communicated with residents via written survey, with phone call and door knocking follow up to residents who had not yet responded, to ask their opinions on whether or not to construct sound walls for various wall segments as identified by MnDOT (most block segments were two blocks long). These issues are difficult, as many neighbors have strongly held opinions both “for” and “against” the walls. Based on feedback from residents, noise walls will be built from 35th Street to 42nd Street along 2nd Avenue, and from 38th to 42nd Street along Stevens (including along Martin Luther King Park). The 3500, 3600 and 3700 blocks of Stevens will NOT have sound walls.
2. Will there be pile-driving associated with the construction of the noise walls going north of 42nd Street?
For this area, MnDOT has informed the City that the walls will be installed by augering (which is like screwing in a post) not pile driving (which is like hammering in a post or sheet rock). Augering is a process that is much less noisy than pile driving, and also does not cause as much vibration and shaking of the ground which happens with pile driving. There will be limited sheet piling associated with the construction of a retaining wall at 38th street as well as in the median on the main line of 35W to construct the sewer surge chambers. Sheet piling is similar to pile driving in that the process “hammers” the steel into the ground. However, this work is far more limited, is used to temporally stabilize the soil for excavation, caused less noise, and is completed quicker.
3. Will the freeway be widened as part of the Urban Partnership Agreement?
The freeway will not be widened, although it will be resurfaced and restriped to allow an extra lane onto the existing freeway trench.
4. Will there be limits on the noise impacts of pile-driving or other construction activities and will the City have any greater ability to enforce its noise ordinance than it did in the Crosstown Commons?
The City and Minneapolis residents have continually complained to MnDOT about noise, particularly night-time noise, including pile driving, trucks backing up, and many other activities. The City did create an agreement with MnDOT to limit night-time noise in 2008. The City is now discussing night-time noise issues with MnDOT as the construction season is getting into full gear.
As stated by MnDOT: In coordinating with city staff, we modified our construction practices to align better with the noise ordinances. This project from 42nd to downtown has restrictions on the activities that can be performed to minimize noise. These activities are as follows: From 8:00 PM to 7:00 AM nightly, the Contractor will not be allowed to perform work that involves the following list of operations which involve amplified sound beyond acceptable nighttime levels: * Driving Pile * Driving sheet pile * Sheeting removal * Crushing operations * Pavement demolition (milling will be allowed) * Slamming of truck tailgates * Jack hammering. The Contractor will also not be allowed to work on the noisewalls from 8:00 PM to 7:00 AM.
5. Where should one register complaints with MnDOT about excessive after-hours noise?
If you experience unacceptable levels of noise, including night-time noise, please contact the MnDOT hotline immediately at 1-866-743-6590.
6. Will the awful conditions of the frontage road on 2nd Avenue and Stevens Avenue be remediated once construction is completed?
Councilmember Glidden has asked Minneapolis Public Works to develop a plan to address the great need for repairing 2nd Avenue and Stevens Avenue to an acceptable condition. As part of its evaluation, Public Works is comparing the condition (or, pavement index) of these frontage roads taken before I-35W construction and will measure the deterioration that has occurred once construction is complete.
7. Can construction trucks be kept off residential road?
City of Minneapolis Public Works is working with MnDOT and Hennepin County to develop clear direction for residents on how and where to send complaints. Complaints are best followed up on when they include details such as location, direction, date & time of construction trucks on residential roads – as well, any info on the vehicle like a truck number is helpful.
8. Can construction trucks be kept off the RiverLake Greenway at the corner of 40th and Stevens, so that the bike lanes remain available and their surfaces are not degraded by the heavy loads of trucks? Can the entrance to the 40th Street pedestrian bridge be swept when it is littered with clods of dirt, to allow safe passage for bicyclists?
We received this response from MnDOT: The proposed construction of the noise barriers in this location will require truck traffic to deliver the materials for the noise barriers. There should not be too much additional traffic in this area, but this is the only access point from 40th Street to 42nd Street. The only other access to the sight would be through the park, which is undesirable. We will work to minimize the impacts to the trail and to maintain the cleanliness of the trail as a result of our construction.