MnDOT Major Projects Manager Amber Blanchard told the Richfield City Council on July 22 that work on I‑494 Phase 2 is advancing and that MnDOT expects to seek municipal consent in August or September after completing updated noise and air‑quality analyses.

The update covered follow‑up items from project vision and Phase 1, existing and planned regional construction that could affect traffic in 2027–2029, and public‑engagement plans that include an in‑person open house at Richfield High School on July 30. “We are anticipating that we will be asking for municipal consent sometime in August or September, kind of depending on, when some of that information, especially on noise and air quality, will become available,” Blanchard said.

Why this matters: Phase 2 would continue the I‑494 corridor work begun in Phase 1 and includes local crossings, noise mitigation evaluations, traffic phasing and property easements. Councilmembers pressed MnDOT on local safety fixes and crossings where pedestrian and bicycle users are exposed, asking MnDOT for more detail about targeted interventions at specific interchanges and bridges.

Most of the technical work Blanchard described is still in analysis. MnDOT has begun 2050 traffic forecasting, which feeds the ongoing noise and greenhouse‑gas work; the noise evaluation will consider feasibility and cost‑effectiveness of noise walls and then follow MnDOT’s property‑owner voting process for required walls. Blanchard said the traffic forecasting delay had pushed some analyses back, but that results would be available before municipal consent is requested.

Councilmembers repeatedly pressed MnDOT staff to return with specific answers on localized issues. Mayor Supple and several councilmembers asked for targeted follow‑up on the 70th/35W interchange area (referred to several times during the discussion as a high priority safety location), on the Second Avenue pedestrian bridge (ADA compliance and whether it would be replaced if removed in the future), and on a potential trail/rail crossing where a replacement railroad bridge is planned. Amber Blanchard and MnDOT staff committed to return with that follow‑up information at the next work session.

MnDOT and partner staff described regional constraints and funding context. The project team noted significant federal and state grants already awarded to the corridor (including an INFRA federal grant and state Corridors of Commerce funding) and said Phase 2 had received substantial funding, but that timing and phasing must account for adjacent projects (for example, Highway 13 and other county and state work planned through 2027–2029). Ryan Wilson and other MnDOT regional staff said the 494 railroad bridge replacement and several other regional bridges will constrain how work is staged in 2027.

On the Second Avenue pedestrian bridge, Blanchard said the bridge has service life left and was recommended to remain in place during visioning, but that the bridge is not ADA compliant and “we will need to evaluate the need and funding for the potential future work on that bridge and replacement as well.” Councilmember Burke raised the risk that if MnDOT removes the structure later for safety reasons the city might lose negotiating leverage to get a replacement or relocation more useful to the community; MnDOT acknowledged that future outcomes cannot be guaranteed and pledged to document options and funding avenues.

Engagement and next steps: Blanchard summarized Phase 1 engagement (24 in‑person events, virtual open houses, ~4,500 email subscribers and about 9,800 visits to the virtual open house site) and said Phase 2 public engagement will be more informational, focused on upcoming construction, timing and impacts. The project team said business outreach has begun (door‑knocking) and multiple pop‑ups and open houses are scheduled; they reiterated a plan to return to the council with noise, greenhouse‑gas and traffic‑impact information prior to requesting municipal consent.

Council follow‑ups requested included more detailed analysis and options for the 70th/35W interchange safety improvements; whether a trail crossing can be included in the planned replacement of a rail bridge; locations where noise walls may be feasible and the voting eligibility for affected properties; and the expected schedule and traffic staging now that a full closure of TH‑77 at I‑494 has been taken off the table.

Ending: MnDOT staff said they will return with the requested data and answers — including any funding commitments and project‑manager assignments — at a later work session, likely September. The council scheduled continued discussion of Phase 2 details and municipal consent timing based on those follow‑ups.