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MnDOT previews I‑94/494 project 2 and municipal‑consent request; construction staged through 2030
Summary
MnDOT and city staff briefed the council on the next phase of the I‑494/I‑35W corridor project and said they will request municipal consent on Oct. 13; full construction activities are expected between 2027 and 2030 with requirements for local cost participation on certain items.
Representatives from MnDOT and city traffic engineering updated the Bloomington City Council on the I‑494/I‑35W corridor project and told council members the city will be asked to grant municipal consent at the Oct. 13 meeting for project phase 2.
MnDOT said the corridor vision (established through planning from 2018–2022) includes mainline widening for an express‑bus/EZ Pass lane, reconfiguring the I‑35W/494 interchange, consolidating access east of I‑35W and replacing and repaving mainline pavement across the corridor. The presentation explained project phasing: project 1 is nearing substantial completion with the Portland Avenue bridge and most east‑of‑I‑35W work substantially done by fall 2026; project 2 will continue work west of Highway 100 and complete reconstruction and repaving with an anticipated construction window from 2027 through 2030.
MnDOT said state law requires municipal consent when a state project acquires permanent right‑of‑way from a city, alters highway access, or increases/decreases capacity; all three conditions apply to project 2. MnDOT briefed anticipated local‑cost participation for improvements that local partners requested (examples include selected signal replacements and pedestrian/trail upgrades) and said some facilities currently used by the city’s utility system will need relocation at MnDOT’s expense as part of the project contract. MnDOT noted the final staging plans will be developed by the design‑build contractor and emphasized they will require maintaining at least three through‑lanes in each direction during construction where feasible.
Council members asked for clearer, earlier staging and communications plans for neighborhoods affected by detours and temporary traffic patterns; members urged MnDOT and city staff to be more proactive in handling resident complaints and traffic enforcement during construction. MnDOT said the draft environmental document will be submitted for public review later this year with a goal to publish the request for proposals in mid‑2026 and let the contract later in 2026.
The council will consider municipal consent for project 2 at its Oct. 13 meeting; staff invited council feedback on additional information to include in that public hearing packet.
