Hennepin County and city staff presented an update Oct. 27 on the Nicollet Avenue reconstruction project in Bloomington, a 2.3‑mile corridor from East Old Shakopee Road (near Kennedy High School) north to American Boulevard. The project team recommended advancing a preferred multimodal alternative that includes a shared‑use path on one side of the street, sidewalks on the other, pedestrian median refuges, traffic‑signal replacements at most signalized intersections and removal of several free‑right slip lanes to calm turning traffic.

Project manager Emily Goodell (Hennepin County) said the corridor is constrained in many places (about two‑thirds of the corridor has a 66‑foot right‑of‑way) and carries up to about 10,200 vehicles per day on the busiest segments. The proposed typical section would preserve a three‑lane (one travel lane in each direction plus a center turn lane) roadway while providing room in the boulevard for trees and a shared‑use path separated from the roadway. Goodell said the shared‑use path option requires less permanent property acquisition and lower construction costs than other alternatives the team studied.

Key intersection changes discussed include converting an offset intersection at 80 Third Street to a channelized median and limiting some side‑street access to right‑in/right‑out movements to reduce left‑turn conflicts. At the American Boulevard (north) end the team proposed extending a short southbound through lane to reduce unsafe merges; near Kennedy High School staff proposed reworking travel lanes to add dedicated turn lanes for school events and drop‑off.

The project’s preliminary construction estimate is about $26,400,000. Hennepin County expects to follow its standard cost‑sharing policy and indicated the city’s portion would likely be around 25% of the cost. The team plans final design in 2026, right‑of‑way acquisition that year, and construction in 2027 if schedule and funding allow. Council members asked about coordinating timing with the 494 bridge work and with the city’s planned fire station improvements; project staff said they are coordinating schedules with partner agencies and will return with a cooperative agreement at the 60% design milestone next year.

Ending: Project staff said they will continue outreach to property owners and businesses, refine the preferred design and return to the council with a cooperative agreement and funding details when the project reaches the 60% design milestone in mid‑2026.