MnDOT/KLJ give Highway 3 corridor study update; team flags intersection crash concentrations and a bridge pinch point

City staff introduced the Highway 3 corridor visioning study and invited KLJ Engineering project manager Joe Devore to present a phase‑1 update on safety, multimodal connections and capacity needs along the 12.5‑mile corridor that runs through Eagan.

Joe Devore, the KLJ project manager representing MnDOT on the study, said the team has completed phase 1 and is quantifying corridor issues to inform alternatives development. "We're about a third of the way into it," he told the council. He said the team used Metropolitan Council 2050 forecasts to evaluate travel demand and to assess safety and capacity tradeoffs.

Key findings and constraints: Devore said 75% of crashes in the Eagan segment occur at three intersections (Cliff Road, Red Pine Lane and Diffley), and he identified a bridge west of Highway 149 as a physical pinch point that currently limits turn lanes and pedestrian facilities. He said projected travel demand under 2050 forecasts could push two‑lane capacity from roughly 13–14,000 vehicles toward 16–17,000, prompting analysis of partial four‑lane options in less constrained segments.

Short‑term improvements and engagement: Devore noted a MnDOT project to add a flashing yellow arrow and ADA improvements at the Red Pine Lane location next summer that came from resident feedback. He said phase 2 will emphasize concept development and community open houses so residents can weigh safety, traffic flow and environmental tradeoffs.

Next steps: the project team will meet with municipal and county partners to develop concepts and alternatives this month and then present those concepts for public feedback in phase‑2 engagement. The study will include benefit‑cost and high‑level feasibility work to inform what combination of signals, roundabouts, grade separation or widening makes sense given environmental, right‑of‑way and railroad constraints.